One Leader, One Protector, A joint Destiny
by Fatemaker
Summary: Based after 2.13, With Judgement day now destined to happen years early, John and Cameron can't resist falling in love with one another, despite knowing the differences between them and the consequences involved.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

John was waiting in one of the many hospital waiting rooms for new on Riley. Riley, only two hours ago had cut her wrists in the bathroom while he was talking to Cameron. He stood against the wall, eyes fixed on the ceiling , think why would she do such a thing. Before Riley cut her wrists, she had an awkward talk with Cameron. Riley and Cameron had never seen eye to eye mainly due to Cameron's belief that she was a threat to his safely. On Riley's side, Cameron seemed to be a overprotective and intimidating sister.

John took his eyes off the ceiling and looked around the full waiting room. Everyone in the room looked exactly how he felt. They all looked lonely and worried. John watched as a doctor came through the door to his right and walked towards a worried couple. They stood up and listened to what he had to say. John watched as the woman fell to her knees and bust in to tears while the man sat back down holding his head in his hands, also began to cry. It was obvious that they had lost someone close to them, possible one of there children or something. John tried not to look as they displayed their grief at the loss of a loved one. He didn't notice Cameron walking in to the room.

Cameron walked in to the room, stopped and looked at the people around. They all seemed to be sad. Her eyes wondered from person to person, trying to assess why they all seemed sad. Her eyes fell on two people in the room, a man and a women crying. Cameron tilted her head to the side as she always did when she didn't understand something. These two people were displaying grief, an emotion that occurs at the loss of something special. To Cameron's understanding, grief was something done in private where they could learn to accept their loss. However, these two people were crying in front of all these people. The woman in particular was almost screaming. Cameron moved her gaze from the two and spotted John standing away from the group, standing against the wall. She walked over and copied his position, turning her back to the wall and leaning against it.

"John?, you look upset". John jumped at her surprise appearance. It was obvious he was upset, his girlfriend had just tried to kill herself and he was waiting to see if she had succeeded or not. " Riley tried to kill herself, of course I'm upset" . He turned his gaze to the grieving couple, who were now being escorted by the doctor out of the room. Cameron watched also as they left the room. Once they had gone, she turned to John. "Why were they crying". John moved his gaze back to the ceiling. " They lost someone, a kid I guess"

John heard footsteps and another doctor appeared. John looked hopefully at her for a few seconds, before she disappeared back down the corridor. He returned his gaze t the ceiling. Cameron was disappointed by the lack of response and quizzed John some more. " Why were they crying in front of everyone, they lost a child, wouldn't they display their grief in private?" John removed his gaze from the ceiling and looked at the floor, catching a glimpse of Cameron's chocolate eyes still fixed on him. " Sometimes, knowing your about to loose someone or have lost someone, it hurts so much that you can't contain their grief within themselves, they break down, it all comes out at once"

Cameron tilted her head to the side again. She had never experienced grief before. She turned and looked at the floor and scanned her memory backs. Sarah had cried after they had destroyed Cromartie, but why would Sarah cry about that. Cromartie wasn't important to Sarah, he had tried to kill her son on more then one occasion. She looked further back in her memory backs. She remembered when Sarah was close to crying before, when she shot Enrique. Sarah was angry and upset by his death. Could Sarah's anger at her have cancelled out her grief over Enrique's death. Cameron closed her files and looked back at John. He still seemed worried about Riley, so she decided not to ask more of John. "Thank you for explaining".

Cameron and John didn't talk for another half an hour. The room was becoming unbearable for John. His mother had always avoided hospitals when possible, afraid they could be identified. He took several deep breaths and looked around the room again, trying to push the thought of Riley dying out of his mind. It was another several minutes before a doctor came through the door and walked towards him. "Excuse me, were you the one who brought Riley Dawson in?" John looked at the expression on the doctors face and was relived to see her smiling. " Yeah, is Riley goanna be alright?". " She will be fine, we had to give her some blood but luckily for her, the blood type is common, if you follow me, I'll take you too her" The doctor turned and walked off. Before following, John gave looked at Cameron, who looked extremely disappointed at the news. " Let's go".

Cameron frowned and followed John behind the doctor. Cameron didn't like the fact that Riley survived. It meant she was still a security risk to John. She had hoped that taking a longer rout to the hospital would have let her bleed to death. The doctor stopped outside one of the wards at he end of the corridor. " Only one of you can see her and only for a couple of minutes, she needs sleep". John walked passed the doctor, looking at Cameron who just stared back. John found Riley at the end of the ward in the last bed next to the window. Riley lay there, looking like a ghost, pale while. John sat down next to the bed." Hey, how you feeling?"." I've been better" was the reply her got. John looked at her wrists, which were tightly bandaged. "What do you think you were doing?". Riley looked up at the ceiling, she took a long time to answer. " I tried to end it John, I just tried to get out, no one cares". John sat up. " I care. Is it because I saw your burse, I wasn't going to kill you foster dad or anything, I might have yelled a bit but nothing else". Riley smiled slightly at this. "He didn't hit me, I told you. I just, err, I'm tired John, I'll call you when I get out of here"

John looked stunned, he had waited hours to see if she was ok and now she was telling him to leave. He got up and walked to the end of the bed. " See you later then". She didn't reply.

John pulled up outside the house. He and Cameron had sat in silence the whole way home. Cameron got out and walked in the house without looking at him. He slowly got out of the car and walked towards the house himself. Kicking the door open, he went upstairs and turned on the shower. After spending hours in a hospital, he wanted to refresh himself. Getting in, he began to wash.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cameron walked around the house, looking for any possible threats. After she concluded that their were no threats, she realised that Sarah was not in the house. The UFO convention she had gone to finished hours ago and she should have been back by now. Her first thought was to go and tell John. But he was in the shower and Cameron concluded that walking in to the shower and telling his that his mother was missing while he just nearly lost his girlfriend was not a good idea. She instead took out her phone and dialled Sarah's number. Sarah's phone was turned off. Cameron now knew something was wrong, Sarah never turned her phone off in case John needed her.

Instead of disturbing John, she now phoned Derek. "Yeah, what do you want?" Derek sounded as he always did with Cameron, bitter and resentful. Cameron inputted the code to confirm it was her and waited for Derek to do the same. She heard Derek frown and punch the code in himself. Cameron rolled her eyes." Derek, Sarah hasn't returned form the UFO convention and her phone is off. Something's wrong. " Derek didn't answer straight away. Cameron waited patiently. She heard the shower turn off up stairs, meaning John was finished. " Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes, we better go look for her." He hung up. She heard a sound outside and moved quickly to inspect if their was a threat. Walking outside, she looked from the left to the right and back again, scanning for anything out of the ordinary.

Satisfied that nothing was outside, she turned around and headed back inside the house and went upstairs. She decided to tell John about his mother. She got to his bedroom, opened the door and walked in. John was standing there, bare-chested, halfway towards getting dressed. Her gaze fixed on his body, it fell down and back up again. " You could have knocked" John said bitterly as Cameron removed her gaze from his chest to is eyes. "Sorry, I just thought you should know that Sarah hasn't returned from the convention. Me and Derek are going to look for her". John felt like Cameron had just slapped him. " She's probably found another three dot lead, she'll be fine". Cameron tilted her head to the side as John pulled a shirt over his head and put it on. John noticed that she was staring. Cameron wondered why John wasn't as concerned as she expected him to be.

Derek arrived five minutes later. He refused to go anywhere alone with Cameron so he forced John to come along. Derek attitude towards had changed a lot since defeating Cromartie in Mexico. He was fine driving alone with her when coming to save John in Mexico, but after realising how much Cameron had taken form his weapons stash, John had to step in and stop him shooting her with her own shotgun when digging Cromartie's grave. John Sat in the back next to Cameron. Derek kept his eyes in the rear view mirror and via that on Cameron more then he did the road. " Derek, just because she's sitting near me, doesn't mean she's going to kill me!" Derek stopped the car. " Derek turned and faced John. " One of these fucking machines is going to kill you one day and I'm sure its going to be this one ". He jabbed his head in Cameron's direction. Cameron stared from John to Derek and back to John, waiting to who would win the debate. Jon turned and looked at Cameron. Green eyes met brown for a few seconds before he turned to Derek." I've told you once before and I won't tell you again, its not going to be this one". Cameron grinned as Derek swore loudly and continued to drive. John turned and gave her a grin before looking out of the window.

Arriving at the UFO convention. John and Cameron asked the few people that were still left there about Sarah. Finding no useful Information, they returned to the car and headed in the direction of home. They got caught in a traffic jam caused by a car crash ten cars ahead of them. Cameron was looking out of her window, watching a man and woman walk by, the mans arm that was closer to the woman wrapped around her. She tilted her head to the side as she watched the couple pass the car and out of view. She thought the woman seemed to feel warm and safe with the man holding her the way he was. She scanned her memory banks for any sign of this interaction. She found that many boys and girls at the school she and John went to did the same. Mostly boyfriends and girlfriends did this. Her thoughts of this disappeared as her gaze fell on a man standing about twenty feet from the car. He was tall and unusually still. She scanned him. "That man over there, he's a T tripe eight". She said quietly. John and Derek turned to look as well. "The one day I didn't bring the guns" Derek said this though gritted teeth. Cameron turned and pushed Johns head down. He didn't resist.

The terminator's focus luckily wasn't on the car but on a large group of youths across the road watching the emergency services move the wrecked cars up ahead. Cameron looked over the youths and recognised two of them at once. "Derek, his targets are over there, William and Elizabeth Anderson". John felt Cameron's hand move off his head allowing him to sit up. He and Derek both looked at the youths across the road. " If those two die, we are so fucked." Derek now looked worried. John looked from the youths, to Cameron, to the terminator and back to Cameron. "Who are they?"." William and Elizabeth Anderson, brother and sister, are two of your top lieutenants. William was one of your weapon designers and Elizabeth was your Temporal mission planner. She sorted out all time travel missions, including mine." Derek turned and faced John" If they die, there goes us winning the war". Cameron turned her gaze to the terminator, who began to follow two of the youths walking away. John spotted the youths and got out the car." John!" Cameron got out also. John turned to Derek. "Find my mom, we can take care of this!" Derek opened his mouth to argue but the traffic began to move and he was forced to go. Cameron followed John over the road and after the terminator.

John and Cameron walked side by side as they followed the terminator. "Won't he realise he's being followed?" John said looking at Cameron. " Probably not, he's has his targets in sight, he won't stop till they are dead". John could see the two youths take a left turn and disappear from view. The terminator broke in to a run as his targets went out of sight. Cameron and John also began to run. Cameron having no muscles quickly took the lead over John as they neared the corner. Cameron got to the corner and spotted the terminator forcing its way through a door in the nearest house across the road. Cameron narrowly avoided being hit by a car when crossing the road. Gunshots rang from the house, followed by screams of a teenage girl. Cameron quickly ran in the house and ran straight in to the terminator who quickly turned the shotgun he was holding to Cameron. John reached the garden when he head two shot gun blasts come form the house, He took the pistol form the back of the trousers out and made towards the house.

The terminator stepped out and looked straight at John. The terminator apparently didn't realise who he was. John realised that Cameron was struggling under his grip as he threw her across the garden and on to the road. John opened fire on the terminator aiming for its eyes. John had trained with guns all his life and knew how to aim. His first shot missed but his second hit the right eye. The terminator stumbled for a brief second before moving towards him. Cameron got up and saw the terminator advance on John. She yelled for John to run as she ran and kicked the terminator on to its back. John ran in to the house and watch as Cameron and the terminator were locked in fighting. Punching and kicking one another so hard that they could smash concrete. The terminator got back out its shotgun and shot Cameron in the back three more times.

Cameron fell to the floor, seemingly unable to move. The terminator began to land heavy blows to Cameron's face. John's instincts and training told him to run. Something in him, made him run towards the terminator. Diving towards the shotgun, John rolled forwards and aimed at the back of its head and fired. The moment it turned to see who shot him, John fired again, this time in the other eye, he fired again and again until he ran out of ammo. The terminator slowly arched backwards and fell to the ground next to Cameron, it twitched slightly and then didn't move at all.

Cameron got up slowly, she stared at the terminator and then at John . John was still aiming the gun. She looked at his face. John's face looked different, he looked angry but relived. She looked in to his eyes and saw a sparkle of light in them. Opening a memory file of future John, she compared the eyes, and saw that for the first time the eyes matched. Cameron had compared the eyes of this John and Future John every day since she met him and for the first time, she could see them as the same person. She closed the file and inspected the T triple eight. Looking in to its eyes, she saw the remains of what was once the terminators chip. " Its dead, I'll get a car, go and check if William and Elizabeth Anderson are alive". John lowered his gun and turned in towards the house. It felt a little strange taking orders from Cameron.

The front door had been torn off by the terminator and the rest of the hall way had been more or less destroyed by him and Cameron. John didn't have to look long to find the two, he found both of them hiding in the kitchen, crouching behind an overturned table which had bullet holes in it. " Are you two alright". Elizabeth looked over the table. "I'm okay, is he gone?" she was shaking. Her brother put his arm around his sister as she began to cry." I'm ok as well, where did he go and why did he try and kill us?" John jumped when a car horn went off outside, he knew that Cameron had found a car. That was quick, how did she find one so fast?. He looked at the terrified brother and sister." I cant stay or explain what's going on, but that man won't be coming back here and you won' see him again, I guess I'll see you both in a few years".

They looked at each other and then back to John, confused by his statement, but John had already backed out of the kitchen and left the house. He spotted Cameron looking out of the window of the car, John walked over and got in. He noticed the T triple eight on the back seat. "Are they both alive" she said looking at him. Cameron had huge cuts on her face and was bleeding a lot more then she normally did when her skin was damaged. "Yeah, their both fine, just shaken". He looked in to her brown eyes and she stared in to his. " Are you okay?, you took some punishment back there". Once again, she tilted her head to the side. " I'll be fine". She turned away form John after a few seconds. John waited for her to move the car until he relished he was in the driving seat. Shaking his head a little, he turned the key in the ignition and began to drive home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Pulling up to the house half an hour later couldn't have came quicker for John. He had been dragged out the house to find his mother, then forced to fight the very thing he's supposed to be running from. He had a long day and was having trouble staying awake. "John? Are you all right?". John rubbed his forehead and looked at her, looking in to her brown eyes and seeing her concern. "I'm alright, just had a long day". He slowly got out of the car. It was now dark outside, and the air was cold. He noticed that Derek had returned to the house as the car was parked outside the shed holding their weapons.

Cameron got out also. She looked at her arms which were reacting to the cold. Small bumps began to form. With out even realising it, she began to rub her arms in an effort to stay warm. She closed the car door and made after John who had just entered the house. Once she reached the door, she turned and remembered the T triple eight in the back seat. She considered what to do next. It began to rain, the water hitting her arms and face. She decided to wait till morning to destroy it.

John entered the house and saw Derek kneeing next to the couch. Looking at the couch, he saw his mother looking like hell. "Mom?, what the hell?". Making his way over, he saw Derek tending to a wound on her leg. "Are you Okay?". She didn't look pleased at all. John knew what was about to come, he was going to get the don't hunt terminators, they hunt you talk." What were you thinking John?, your supposed to run and hide, not fight these things, if I could walk, I'd get up and kill you both for going after it alone." She nodded her head towards Cameron, who just walked in. Sarah didn't look to shocked to see the state she was in.

"So, what happened then, are they still alive or, OUCH!, careful for fucks sake!", Derek looked up." Sorry". Derek wasn't looking at her leg wound, but at Cameron, with a smug smile on his face, apparently glad she was in such a state. Cameron titled her head to the side and looked at the back of Derek's head, with an angry look on her face. John looked from Cameron to Sarah again." We killed the T triple eight, its in the car and William and Elizabeth are alright, just a little confused on why someone wanted them dead".

Derek finished with her leg wound, stood up and walked towards the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and stared at Cameron, keeping a firm grip on his gun. Cameron sat down opposite Sarah, and stared at her arms, which no longer had any bumps. She looked confused. John sat next to her and looked at her wounds. They ones on her face had already started to heal, but looking at her back, he noticed a lot of blood from the shot gun blasts she took. "John better go get yourself patched up". Cameron tilted her head to the side, not knowing what John was talking about. He pointed to her back. She reached around and felt her back, not relieving the amount of damage he had taken, she seemed a little shocked. "Oh, thank you for explaining, I'll do it in a minute". John and Sarah stared as she turned her gaze back to her arms, almost as she was fascinated by them. John grinned and looked to Sarah" What happened to you". Sarah explained her story to John, what happened at the UFO convention, finding Abraham, Abraham getting killed and then what happened to the warehouse. Cameron had listened to every word as if she was in a classroom.

"I'll be fine, I'm giving up on this three dots thing, I'm not getting shot again over it.". Both John and Cameron grinned. Sarah winched in pain. John guessed it was because it was her leg, but Cameron noticed she was holding her left arm. Getting up, she walked over the Sarah, took Sarah's hand in to her own and just waited. John looked over at Derek, who had taken a few steps closer, hoping Cameron would do something that would give him an excuse to shoot her. "What are you doing?". Sarah demanded. Cameron ignored her. Suddenly , she looked in to Sarah's eyes in shock and let go of her hand. "That can't be right!". John got up form the chair." What can't be right?". Cameron took Sarah's hand in to her own again and closed her eyes this time. Sarah and John gave each other concerned looks. Cameron let go and opened her eyes. "I need to talk to Sarah alone". Everyone was taken aback by this. No one spoke for a few seconds which to John felt like another hour. Sarah was the first to speak up." What ever it is, just say it". Sarah herself was tired. She looked at Cameron who just stared back. Cameron opened her mouth and closed it again, seemingly trying to find the right words before she finally spoke.

" I ran a CAT scan, you have tumours in your left arm, spine and the brain. It's Cancer". Sarah froze, how could she have had cancer, she had been careful. She ate good food and exercised a lot. John was speechless, his mother couldn't have Cancer, she just couldn't. Derek just stood still, looking stunned. "The rate the tumours suggest that they were brought on by radiation exposure". " I've never been exposed to radiation, I've never been near". She stopped talking and remembered, the power plant, how she ran through a room full of radioactive chemicals with out protection. She frowned and punched the side of the chair she was lying on. She couldn't believe it. Cameron made them time jump years to avoid her cancer and now because she was impatient, she was going to die. "Mom, exposed to what radiation?". Tears had formed in John's eyes, he had lost his entire life to the terminators and Skynet and now he was losing his mother. "At the power plant, I ran through with out protection". Derek walked toward the front door." I'm going for beer!".

He left with out another word, disappearing in to the rain and out of sight. Cameron was looking a the responses everyone was giving to the news. Her head tilted to the side, she tried to compare these responses to what John told her at the hospital. Only John's reaction partly resembled what he had said. Sarah looked up at Cameron, and held out her hand to her. "How long have I got". Cameron reached out and took her hand. After ten seconds or so, she gave her reply. " A few weeks, maybe less". John's day couldn't have gotten any worse, his mother was going to be gone in a few weeks. Derek wasn't much help at all and Cameron was a machine. He didn't know what to do." John, get me a blanket, I need some sleep". John reluctantly walked upstairs to fetch a blanket. Once John was out of site. Cameron sat down opposite Sarah.

"I'm sorry, you ran through that room to save me, you should have taken the long way round". She waited for a reply. Sarah looked a way from her and faced the couch, winching in pain as she moved her body. "Just go get yourself patched up". Cameron got up and went upstairs, passing John as he came out his mothers room with a blanket, she stopped and stared. Green and brown eyes met briefly as John rushed passed Her and downstairs. Cameron felt a little alone by this, she didn't like to see John hurt. She entered her room, took out a pare of pliers from her bag on the floor and went in the bathroom.

John covered his mother with the blanket. She turned to face him. She could see the pain in his eyes. "John?, I'm sorry but nothing can be done about this, I'm going to die one way or another". She decided to not deceive John any more. If he asked, she would answer. John remembered back to when Sarah and Cameron had returned to from the power plant. He watched from the window as Cameron scanned Sarah after coming back. He couldn't hear what they said to one another, but his anger towards Cameron at the time pushed his worry about his mother to the back of his mind. "Why didn't you tell me you thought you had cancer before?" . He looked at the floor as he said this, not having the will to look in to her eyes. "When we first came here from the past, I made Cameron tell me why she made us come here". She paused as John looked up. John wondered why Cameron was being brought in to this." What's Cameron got to do with you having cancer?". Sarah took a deep breath and told John what she never wanted t tell him."

She told me I was going to die in 2005 of cancer". John stared at her and looked towards the stairs. Why hadn't Cameron told him of this? This was him mother. She should have told him. John got up and made for the stairs." John?, its not her fault.". Sarah looked over the top of the couch. "Get some sleep mom, I'll see you in the morning". Sarah watch as John turned around and disappeared at the top of the stairs. Sarah lay down and remembered the only other time she saw John as upset as he was now. It was when John saw the tape of Sarah signing away her parental rights to him. Sarah regretted ever signing those papers, turning over, she fell asleep.

John walked towards Cameron's room, intending to yell as much as he could, to demand why she never told him about his mother. Walking in to her room, he found her blood stained top on the floor. Realising she must be in the bathroom patching herself up, He turned around and headed to the bathroom. The door was opened slightly, he opened it fully and walked in. All thoughts of yelling at Cameron drifted out of his mind. Cameron was standing there, with only her bra on her upper body. John ran his eyes over her smooth skin. He had felt the skin before, it had felt so real but he knew it wasn't. He ran his eyes over her body until he spotted three large holes in her lower back.

Cameron was watching John as he was looking at her. John seemed to be admiring her, the way she looked. Cameron titled her head to the side, why was John admiring her when she had three holes in her back. John realised what he was doing and looked in to Cameron's eyes." Err, are you Okay?". John looked towards the floor, trying not to look at her body. " I need your help, I can't see where the bullets are, I need you to remove them". John thought on this for a moment. He could help her out and ask her about his mother, killing two birds with one stone. "Okay, sit on the side of the bath with your back to me". Cameron smiled as she handed John the pliers. She turned away from the mirror, which she had been using to fix the cuts to her face and neck, which had already healed quite well.

She walked over to the bath, stepped in to it and sat down. John bent down on to his knees and looked at the holes in her back. Even one of these would have killed a human with ease. Placing his left hand on her shoulder, he used the right to find the shotgun rounds. "I need to ask you about my mom". Cameron turned her head to the side to show that she was listening. "My mom told me that you said she would die of cancer in 2005, why didn't you tell me?". Cameron moved her head back stared out of the bathroom window, she couldn't see and thing through the back and the rain. "Sarah asked me not to tell you, and I thought it better if you didn't know due to the stress it would cause". John finished with the first bullet hole, began with the second. "She's my mother, I had every right to know that this could happen".

Cameron was getting distracted from the conversation they were having. She noticed that she was getting a warm feeling from her shoulder, exactly where John's hand was. The bumps that formed when she was out in the cold rain started to appear on her arms again, but these bumps were different, she didn't want them to go away as she was enjoying the feeling of John touching her skin. Turing her head to the wall, she closed her eyes. " It's just the same when you asked me to not tell Sarah about Cromartie searching the school for you". John stopped what he was doing. Cameron was comparing past events and doing it well. He laughed a little before starting on the third bullet hole. Cameron heard John's small laugh. "What's funny, did I say something wrong?". John didn't reply right away. He reached over to where the bandages. Taking his hand off her shoulder, he began patching her up. Cameron waited for John's answer. "No you didn't, its just , you sound so human sometimes, I keep seeing that your becoming less robot and more human". Cameron smiled. She had always thought of herself as a cyborg, but now John says she was becoming more Human, gave her a small sense of hope that she could grow her emotions.

John finished patching her up, he got up and washed the blood off his hands. Cameron got up and stepped out of the bath. John tried not to look at her In the mirror. "Thank you John". She made for the door. "Cameron, no more secrets, okay". She tilted her head to the side as John washed his hands. "Yes, no more secrets". She saw a grin appear on John's face. Grinning herself, she walked down the corridor to her bedroom. John finished washing his hands, went to him own bedroom. Looking briefly at Cameron's closed bedroom door. He went in his and lay on his bed. With everything that had happened today, he fell asleep with ease.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cameron walked slowly through the living room, taking care to avoid any parts of the wooden floor that creaked loudly in an effort not to wake Sarah, who was asleep on the sofa. Cameron was doing her usual rounds, looking and waiting for any sign of a threat to John. Sarah turned over and moaned with pain with out waking up. Cameron looked over and saw she was still asleep. Cameron held out her hand and placed it on Sarah's hand. Her scan found that the tumour on her spine had grown slightly and was the cause of her discomfort. Turning her gaze towards the ceiling as she heard some sounds form upstairs to where John's room was. Cameron moved towards the stairs as quietly as she could. Opening his bedroom door, she looked towards the bed and found John moving uncontrollable, muttering as he slept. Cameron quickly concluded her was having a nightmare. Walking slowly to his bed, she saw sweat on John's face. " Cameron, n…..no". Cameron froze. John was having a dream about her. She was part of his nightmare.

Cameron knew that dreams were random segments of a persons imagination. She could only guess that in the dream, she had died or she was hunting John. She tilted her head to the side as she raised her hand and felt his forehead. Pushing her hand down slightly, she began to rub from side to side. She leant this from Sarah. Sarah used to do this when John was having bad dreams. Cameron smiled as John's breathing began to slow down. This showed Cameron that she was doing the right thing. She continued to rub his forehead until he was completely calm and in a deep sleep. She removed her hand and walked out of the door. Turning to close it, she watched as John rolled over, a sign that he was alright now. Leaving the room, she continued to look for any threats.

Next morning, Sarah was lying awake on the sofa, her leg being tended to by Cameron." The bandages need changing, if I don't change them, you wound could become infected". Sarah wasn't very enthusiastic. "Thanks". Sarah picked up a glass of brown liquid that Cameron brought her from beside the sofa. "What's this?". Cameron noticed an even less enthusiastic look on her face." You won't want to know what's in it, just drink it and ignore the taste". "No thanks". Sarah made to put it back on the floor but Cameron stopped her, taking the glass from her, Cameron held it to her mouth." Drink it, it will help with the pain".

Sarah, having been in pain all night, took the glass from her. Frowning Sarah held the glass up and drank. Sarah nearly threw up when tasting the liquid, but continued never the less. Drinking it all in one go, She put the glass down, coughing loudly. Looking at Cameron." If you make me drink that again, I'll throw it in your face, and why didn't a feel any of this before I got shot?". " I think you did, when you threw up on the way back from Mexico, you were sick because the tumours began to take an affect on you". Sarah's anger at her began to disappear as the pain in her arms and leg began to fade, disappearing entirely after a few seconds. "What was in that stuff?". Cameron began to work on the bandages. "Your welcome".

John woke up to the sound of load coughs from downstairs. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, Looking towards the door, he noticed he could hear downstairs because the door was ajar. He was sure he closed it last night. Getting up, he picked up some spare clothes, left his room and went to the bathroom. He had one hell of a nightmare that night, a dream he didn't want to have again. Looking at himself in the mirror, he could she his shirt was full of sweat. He always sweated when having bad dreams. Most of them were of Judgement day, or machine's hunting him. As he got in to the shower and began to wash himself, he thought on last nights dream. It was different from the others, he didn't dream of Judgement day or any machines. He remembered in the dream walking through LA, which was completely deserted. He could hear a voice crying out for help in the distance.

As he got closer, he recognised the voice as Cameron's. Turning in to a dark alley, he found Cameron lying dead on the floor. Her blood was everywhere, and her metal body was visible through the holes in her skin. Standing over her, was someone he couldn't see, the darkness of the alley covered the persons face. The person rushed towards him. John couldn't remember anything after that. Cameron seemed so real and seeing her like that hurt him deeply. Even though it was a dream, John felt a little ill seeing Cameron like she was. He never wanted to see her like that, never.

John finished in the shower, got dressed and returned to his room, he found his phone on the floor, next to the bed. Looking on the phone, he had two missed calls from Riley. Finding her number on the phone book, he called her. "About time John, I've been waiting for ages"." Hey, when did they let you out?". "You know hospitals, they wanted to keep me in for a few more days, see a shrink, the whole works, listen, I'm at the pier, will you come?". John stood up and looked for his shoes." Yeah, I can't stay long mind, my moms kind of sick at the minute". " No problem, see you in a flash". Putting his phone in his pocket, he found his shoes and put them on. He didn't want to stay in the house as he didn't want to look at his mother. Finishing with the laces, picked up his jacket and want downstairs, with out looking towards the sofa, he made for the door.

"John?". Stopping just before the door, he slowly turned and faced the sofa. Cameron was staring at him, her hands still on the bandages and so was Sarah. "John, are you alright"." Yeah, I'm fine, just didn't sleep so well". Cameron turned away quickly at this and got back to work on Sarah's leg. Sarah sat up, her eyes darted towards John's shoes and back to his eyes. "Going somewhere?". John reached out and opened the door, keeping his eyes on Sarah. "Riley called, I'm meeting her at the pier". Cameron's eyes darted quickly back to John's face. "I won't be long". John turned and left the house. Cameron stood up, leaving Sarah's bandages unfinished.

"Should I follow him, he's not safe out their alone?"." No, he'll be fine". Standing at the window, Cameron watched as John got in to the car and drive away. Sarah sat and watched as Cameron sat down again, and began to work on the bandages, she worked very fast and tied very tightly. Eventually, Cameron snapped the bandages and was forced to start again. Sarah kept her eyes on Cameron as she started again.

"Your jealous". Cameron stopped but didn't look up. "I don't know what you mean". Sarah grinned. Cameron was making it even more obvious. But terminators couldn't feel emotions. They didn't have a soul. Then she remembered the uncle Bob terminator, how she and John changed its settings, allowing it to feel and grow. "Cameron, how long have you felt like that?". Cameron stopped and looked up this time. "Felt like what?". "Felt like you want to kill John for saying Riley's name and killing Riley every time you see her with John". Cameron went red in the face, she also leant back slightly, as in fear that Sarah would attack her at any moment.

Cameron was finding it hard to answer Sarah's question. He face felt extremely hot for reasons she didn't know. She also found it strange that she had the urge to hide in the cupboard in her bedroom. "The Sarah Connor I know would not ask me questions about this sort of thing, you should be threatening me or something". Cameron leant back even more, almost falling off the chair." I didn't sleep last night, I watched you walking around the house and I saw your face when you came back from John's room, last night gave me the chance to think things over, about you mostly, so come on, tell me how long?".

" I don't know how long, I don't know how to control it, it's just….every time Riley is around, I want her gone, I want her away from John, I just want it to just be me and John". Sarah was taken aback by her words. Cameron just stared at her. She had just described a genuine emotion. The machine that had lived with them, fought with them and was patching up her leg, was feeling emotions. "Your actually feeling now, I've noticed changes in you for a while, but I just thought you were broken". Cameron's gaze fell to Sarah's leg, she finished without saying a word. She wanted more then anything to hide in her cupboard which confused her more.

Finishing the bandages with out breaking them. She stood up and backed away from Sarah. "I don't know what's happening to me, I find myself wanting to do things that aren't part of my mission.". She looked to the floor. Her face got hotter. "Its happening now, I want to hide in the cupboard upstairs". Cameron looked up at Sarah as she burst out laughing. Sarah stopped laughing as Cameron stared at her." Sorry, look, sit down and we can talk about this.". Cameron tilting her head to the side. "Talk about what, emotions?".

Sarah sat up fully, giving Cameron a nod to sit down. "If you want to put it like that then yes". Cameron walked slowly over and sat down. "Why do I want to hide in the cupboard?". Sarah thought for a few seconds before replying. Does she really want to help this machine understand emotions, after basically telling her she was jealous of Riley being with John. She decided she did want to help her, to help her better understand. "You wanted to hide upstairs because I embarrassed you, I made you admit to something you wanted to keep secret. When humans feel embarrassed, some just deal with it, other like me and I guess you as well, want to hide away, to be unseen, invisible to others". Cameron took this information. She held her hand to her face, it was cooling down now but still felt hotter then it normally did. "Why did my face feel hot when I talked about Jo….?".

She stopped before she mentioned John, her face became hot again. "It happens when you are embarrassed, in humans, the blood rushes to your head faster when embarrassed, nervous, intimidated, it gives the face a red glow". Cameron remembered now that John's face turned red slightly when he was with her." John went red when taking the bullets out of my back last night? She said this before realising she had said it. Her face became even hotter now. Sarah didn't reply to that one, she just stared at Cameron as her face began to loose its redness again. "About John, what do you think of him and Riley". Cameron looked Sarah in the face at this question. "Riley's a security threat, she's a liar and her being with John puts him in danger.". Cameron seemed satisfied with her answer. "That's not what I asked, I don't want to know what I already know, I want to know what you think, what you feel?". Cameron was taken aback by this. She stared at the floor again, wishing more then ever to be in the cupboard."

Cameron, you can tell me, close your eyes just let in come out". Cameron closed her eyes. She thought of John being with Riley, how seeing them together made her want to be their, to keep her off him. She remembered how she watched Riley ride away on her bike and Cameron wanting to kill her before she got away. She also remembered how she seemed to be more cheerful around John, like when they returned to Mexico to find Cromartie and then watching Agent James Ellison's house. She and John had been able to talk without any thought of Riley. Cameron slowly opened her eyes again but still looked at the floor.

" I think its bad Riley's with John, I want her gone, I want John to forget her and treat me like he treated her. I want John to care for me like he cares for her". Cameron took her eyes away the floor, and looked at Sarah. "Your jealous, you want Riley out of the picture and for John to focus on you, it's a common emotion among humans, it leads to anger and hate, which you have by wanting Riley dead. But you are feeling more then the basic emotions, your feeling desire, maybe even love, and hell who wouldn't for John, he's a handsome one, bet tons of girls liked him at school". A wide smile formed on both their faces at this comment. Before long, they were both laughing. " Can you help me control these emotions?". Sarah took few deep breaths to help her to stop laughing. "I can try".

John parked the car about halfway down an alley near the pier. Getting out, he walked towards the crowded street at the end. Walking in to the crowd, he saw hundreds of people crowding around some new stalls. John hated being in large crowds. He could never tell if he was being followed by anyone with this many people about. He nearly had a heart attack when he felt someone grad him from behind. "Surprise!". came Riley's voice. Turing around, John looked at her. She was still pale white and her wrists were tightly bandaged. Riley followed John's eyes to her wrists. "You goanna tell me what happened then or what".

Riley didn't answer, she seemed more interested in the new stalls that were on the pier. "Look, I just got out of there and want to enjoy myself, if us to have fun okay, ill tell you about it later, alright". John stared as Riley made for the closest stall. All he wanted to do was turn around and go back home, but Cameron was there, he couldn't look at her with out his mind wondering. Shaking himself, he followed Riley. He tried to seem interested as Riley took him form stall to stall, begging him to buy her something from every one of them, John was growing tired of telling her every time he didn't bring much money with him.

Eventually, they sat down at one to the outdoor cafes. John bought two cold drinks and a plate of chips. They watched as a juggler entertained a group of children before John decided to press her for answers. " Riley, I need to know what happened , why did you hurt yourself like that". He pointed at her wrists. "I don't want to talk about it John". She took a few chips from the plate and ate them. "You can't keep saying that Riley, you were fine one minute, the next you did this". " I said I didn't want to talk about it". Riley said this loudly, causing several passer-by's to look in their direction. " Look, can we just start over, just forget abut the whole thing".

Riley seemed hopeful that this would get John to drop it. John wasn't fooled and knew she was trying to get him to change the subject. He wasn't going to put up with this, if she wasn't going to tell the truth, he was going home. Getting up, he turned in the direction of the alley. "Where are you going?". Turing his head to Riley, he took out his phone and held it up for her to see. "When you want to tell me the truth about what happened, then call me, if not, don't bother". He saw the look of surprise and shock on her face as he tuned away, putting the phone back in his pocket. "John, wait!". John ignored her pleas and disappeared in to the crowd. Finding his way through to the alley, he headed for the car. Looking back towards the pier, he saw that Riley hadn't followed him. He opened the car door and got in, giving the bin next to it a good kick beforehand. He turned the ignition and headed home.

Cameron stood absolutely still staring out of the window, waiting for John to return. She regretted the fact the Sarah made her stay in the house,. John was exposed to attack from terminators all of the time, but even more so with out her around. Despite this, Cameron was grateful she did stay in the house. Sarah had helped her better understand what she was feeling and how to control them better. Sarah was upstairs in the bath, having not slept at all last night, Cameron had suggested it to help her relax. Cameron was having trouble to understand one of the things Sarah had told her. " Emotions can be controlled and need to be controlled at times, but at other times, its better for someone to embrace their emotions and let them control you". Cameron thought that letting something else other then yourself control you was unwise. But then again, John had told her that Humans did stupid things sometimes.

Hearing the sound of a gun loading behind her nearly made her jump. Cameron turned and was faced by Derek. He was holding a shotgun, aiming it for her face. Cameron stared right at him, not daring to reach for the pistol on the table near the door. One shot to her face could destroy her eyes and her chip, she would die. Derek took a step towards Cameron, keeping her eyes fixed on hers. " I heard everything you said and ill be god dammed if a let you and Sarah become best buddies". Cameron raised her hands from her side and folded them. "What did you hear?". " I head everything, I was in the kitchen, you were to busy talking about emotions and all that crap, you didn't even notice.". Derek took another step forward and stumbled slightly. Cameron looked towards the floor and saw that their was nothing on the floor for him to stumble on. Looking behind him and in the kitchen, she saw several empty bottles on the counter.

Looking quickly to the left, she saw John pulling up outside, he was safe and Riley wasn't with him. She quickly decided to buy some time for John to see what his uncle was doing. "Your drunk, your not seeing things clearly, or thinking clearly, I don't actually remembering you thinking about anything clearly lately". Smirking as a furious look came across Derek's face. She slowly backed herself towards the door. "You fucking machines destroyed everything I had, my home, my parents, my brother and I hate that you're here, close to John all the time, he's supposed to kill you and stop the bombs, but he keeps you around like a pet and now, Sarah likes having you around. He moved forward quickly and held the gun aright in her face. She now didn't dare say a word or move, on shot now would destroy her chip. " I'm going to tear you apart you metal bitch".

"What the hell are you doing". John had finally entered the house. Derek looked from John and back to Cameron several times before backing off to the middle of the room. He kept his gun aimed at Cameron. "I said what are you doing". John was expecting to come back home and relax for a but, not to find Derek pointing a gun at Cameron. "I'm doing this for your own good John, that metal bitch is goanna kill you on day and I'll be god dammed if I'm goanna let this one kill you when hundreds have died protecting you from them". John picked up the pistol from the table next to the door. Cameron was blocking the view so Derek didn't see this. "That metal bitch, Cameron, is not going to kill me, I've told you before". Derek looked like he was having a heart attack by John's words. John took this moment to walk around Cameron and stand in front of her, protecting her from Derek. Derek lowered his weapon at once. Cameron stared at the back of John's head. She couldn't believe what he had done, it was usually her who would stand in front on him, not this way. "Fine, have it your way, go on, shoot, take us both out, I'm not moving from this spot". Derek didn't move, he Kept his gun lowered. "What the hell?". John looked towards the stairs, Sarah was sanding at the bottom, in a dressing gown." What's going on?".

She looked from Derek, to John and Cameron. Why was Cameron standing behind John. "I'll make this simply for you John, me or her, your uncle of a fucking murdering machine". John wasn't expecting this, but he was surprised at himself as he already had the answer." Her". Sarah, Cameron and Derek all stared at him. John kept his eyes on Derek. Cameron backed away form him and stood next to Sarah. Sarah looked from one to the other as they didn't say a word for well over a minute. "John, I….". Derek began to speak. John cut him off. "Her, end of story, I choose her, you might be my uncle but I don't trust you, never have done, my dad would be ashamed to see you now". Sarah looked at Cameron, who had her eyes fixed on John with great admiration. Sarah could easily tell that Cameron had a very small smile on her face. Derek aimed the shotgun at his head. John raised his pistol and aimed at his. "You don't know what Kyle would think, you never knew him, I swear to you now, ill never stop until that metal bitch is nothing but scrap". Cameron's small smile vanished. Derek lowered his gun, walked quickly passed John and out the door." Derek, don't come back". John watched as Derek went around to the side of the house. He disappeared for a few seconds, before the sound of a car engine started up. Derek drove as fast as the car would go, away from the house.

John placed the gun back on the table and closed the door as Derek never closed it. He turned to face both Cameron and Sarah. Both were staring at him. "Why was I just forced to tell my uncle to never come back to the house". John looked at Cameron as he said this. He found Derek pointing the gun at her so she must have done something wrong. "Derek overheard me and Sarah talking this mourning, he didn't like what was said or what happened". Sarah walked forward towards John, limping in pain. John automatically held her up as to take the pressure off her leg." What did you talk about?". "We talked about emotions and how to control them, I guess he overheard the part where I said I haven't wanted Cameron destroyed for a while now". John was shocked, the only other time she accepted a terminator was just before uncle Bob was destroyed, they had shaken hands beforehand. " You talked about emotion, what emotions?".

He looked over his mothers shoulder at Cameron." A few, I'm going to destroy what's left of the terminator that attacked Elizabeth and William Anderson ". With that, she turned and walked towards the kitchen and left out the back door. John shook his head. "I'm going to bed, I didn't sleep well last night". John helped her to the bottom of the stairs. "Aren't you going to lecture me about Cameron and Derek, do you want to know why chose her?". Sarah walked upstairs while John waited at the bottom. Half way up, she stopped and turned around. "I already know why you chose her John, your not very good at hiding it". She smiled before heading upstairs to bed.

John spend the rest of the day surfing the internet for anything out of the ordinary in the computer industry, military and even chess tournaments. Cameron was upstairs, John could hear the music Chopin from her room. John shut down the computer, not finding anything that would be classified as out of the ordinary, except being redirected to weight watches every five minutes. John turned out the lights and went up stairs. Opening his mothers door, he saw her fast asleep on her bed. John, satisfied that she was okay for the night, closed the door and walked passed his room to Cameron's. The door was ajar, he looked inside and saw Cameron standing still, staring out of the window." Cameron?". John entered the room, Cameron turned and looked at him, she moved to the CD player and turned it off. "Sorry if it was to loud". John took a step in to the room. "How's your back holding up".

Cameron held her hand towards her back, feeling her own skin where the bandages she removed two hours ago used to be. "Its okay, fully healed, thanks to you". She smiled slightly, as did John. "I'm heading to bed, see you tomorrow". John backed out of the room. "John, why to people dream?". John stopped, staring in to her brown eyes made him feel at ease. "I don't know why really, it just happens. You fall asleep and your mind wonders things, sometimes you don't dream at all". He took another step backwards. "You should try it". Cameron tilted her head to the side. She didn't know the first thing about sleeping, let alone dreaming. She didn't sleep, she went to stand by mode instead. John caught on quickly that she was confused." Just try it, don't think about it, just do it".

Cameron looked towards her bed, she had never slept in it before. Looking back towards John. "John, before you go, why did you choose me over Derek, he was your uncle, your family". John looked at her. "I guess, … I dunno, I just did it on instinct, he might be my uncle but, I dunno, I just made a choice". Cameron smiled as John left her room and entered his. Before closing his door, he called down the hall. "Remember , try to dream". He closed his door. Cameron, closing her own door, began to undress. Standing in her underwear and bra, she pulled back the sheets and got in to bed. Lying back, she felt strangely comfortable. She slowly closed her eyes and without realising it , she drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Two weeks had passed since Derek had left and John stood in the kitchen, making pancakes. Sarah having always made pancakes for him, he had decided to return the favour. Sarah condition had gradually gotten worse as the weeks went by. She lay on the sofa, drenched in sweat from the pain from the tumours. Cameron sat beside her, holding a cold wet towel to her forehead. John brought her the half burned pancakes on a plate to Sarah. Cameron took the plate from John while he took the towel from Sarah's forehead. He took it back to the kitchen to add some more cold water. Cameron helped Sarah sit up and offered her the plate. "I'm not hungry". She said this through gritted teeth and pushed the plate away. Cameron cut some of the pancake with the fork and held it to Sarah's mouth." You haven't eaten in four days, the sooner you eat, the quicker I can give you the pain relief fluid". Cameron pushed the fork in to her mouth. Sarah nearly choked on the pancake, finding it hard to swallow.

Sarah took the plate from Cameron, not wanting to be fed like a baby. She took large bits of pancakes in to her mouth , chewing and swallowing as fast as possible. Finishing, she gave Cameron the empty plate. John returned with the wet towel and placed it again on Sarah's forehead as she lay down again. "You really need to learn to make pancakes properly". Both Cameron and John smirked. "When can you get that pain stuff?". Cameron put her hand on Sarah's check, doing another scan. "The tumours have grown, the pain fluid will only lower the levels of pain, not remove it completely as before". Sarah moaned in pain as Cameron stood up. "I'll make some, just lie still". With that, she stood up and left for the kitchen. John watched as she walked, his eyes moving up and down her body until she was out of site. John looked back at his mother. She was looking at John with a grin on her face, despite the pain. "What?". He put his hand on the towel and pushed softly in to her forehead." I saw you, checking her out". "I wasn't checking her out". Now John was smirking, ruining any chance of deceiving Sarah. "Yeah, course you didn't". Her sarcasm was obvious.

Cameron retuned ten minutes later with the pain relief fluid. John stood back as Cameron held the glass to Sarah's mouth. "Hold your nose". Sarah lifted her hand and held her nose as Cameron tipped the glass in to her mouth. Sarah nearly choked due to the taste but drank it all in one go. Slowly, the pain began to ease away, allowing Sarah to slow her breathing. Cameron handed to glass to John an held her hand to Sarah's check. After a few seconds, Cameron stood up. "You should get out of the house for a few hours, the fresh air will do you some good". Taking the empty glass from John, she walked in to the kitchen. John took a seat next to Sarah. "How you feeling?".

"I've been better, I can still feel those things inside me but it's not as bad". Getting up, she made for the stairs. "Where you going". "Going to get ready, I haven't been out in weeks. We can just go for a walk or something, if that's alright?". "No, its fine, I'll go get some guns". With that, he headed for the front door while Sarah went upstairs. Outside, it wasn't the hot weather that John was hoping for. It was cold and looked like it might rain later. But Sarah needed some time outside and John wasn't going to let a little rain stop him. Opening the shed door, John stepped inside. Half of the shed used to be full with weapons, but Derek took most of his the day after he left. This left only the bare essentials left for them. Most of what they had was a half dozen pistols and an old shotgun. Taking three pistols and some spare ammo. He left the shed and crossed back towards the house.

Cameron was standing in her room, putting on her purple leather jacket. Having overheard John and Sarah arranging to go out for a walk, she got ready herself. She left her room and entered Sarah's. Sarah was having trouble getting her own Jacket on. Cameron walked over and took the jacket from her, holding it open to allow Sarah to put her arms through. "Thanks, is John back from the shed yet?". Cameron stood back to allow Sarah to zip up the jacket. "No, not yet". Sarah walked slowly downstairs. Cameron entered Johns room and found his jacket in a heap on the floor. Picking it up, she made after Sarah. John entered the house with the guns when Cameron got to the bottom of the stairs. She held out his jacket for him. "Swap you". John smirked as he gave her one of the guns and took his jacket. Handing the other to Sarah, he put his jacket on and led them both out the door. Walking towards the car, Sarah opened the drivers door and got in. John made for the passengers seat but Cameron beat him to it. Looking in to her eyes, John was about to argue when Cameron opened the door and said. "I call shotgun". Taking a step back, he opened the backseat door. "I guess that means I call nine millimetre".

John got in to the back while Cameron got in to the front. Sarah grinned at Cameron. John laughed at himself, he could see the relationship between the two women in the front of the car had grown from what it once was. It used to be full of suspicion but now was full of trust. Sarah drove them to the nearby forest, a small lake was visible in the middle of the forest through the trees. Getting out of the car, the three of them walked to the lakes edge and began walking around it. It was quiet in the forest, there were no people around. John guessed the cold was keeping people away. This suited him fine, the less people around, the easier it would be to spot danger. Sarah was just happy to be outside again, ignoring the pain from the tumours, she breathed in deeply allowing her to feel at ease. Cameron looked around them every few seconds. This was a perfect ambush point for a terminator to attack John. Their was nothing it site except some birds and a few stray dogs. Half way around the lake, they found a pier leading the centre of the lake. At the end, was a small fishing boat. A small dirt road led from the pier in to the forest. Sarah stopped at the start of the pier. Sarah looked like she was going to be sick "Mom, are you alright?". "Yeah, I just need to sit down". John looked towards the end of the pier, seeing the boat. We can sit in the boat, lets go". John moved to Sarah's left side, holding her up.

Cameron followed, eventually grabbing Sarah's right arm and helping hold her up as well. Getting to the boat at the end, they found it half full of water. Instead, Sarah sat at the end of the pier, her feet hanging over a metre over the water. John took a seat next to her while Cameron again scanned the horizon, looking for threats. "John, thanks for this". "Thanks for what?". Sarah turned her gaze to the water below her. "For helping me these past few weeks, and bringing me here, thanks". John put his arm around his mother. "No problem, I'll look after you, you've always looked after me, so its my turn". Sarah smiled. She had wondered if she should tell John what she was about to and decided that he had to know. "John, soon I wont be around anymore". John removed his arm and looked at his mother." What do you mean?". "Last week, Cameron found some more tumours, I have about a week left and then I'm gone". John looked to the water. Tears filling his eyes, it was hard holding them back with Sarah looking right at him. "John, look at me, what's happening, we cant control, but you have to let go and keep fighting, promise me you will". John turned and hugged his mother tightly. "I promise".

Cameron meanwhile, was halfway down the pier, giving John and Sarah some privacy to talk. Looking around, it was quiet, no threats or anything to harm John. Standing at the edge of the pier, she looked down at the water. The feeling she got from this she didn't expect, Goosebumps began appearing on her skin and the longer she looked at the water, the more it seemed threatening to her. But she knew water couldn't harm her, no more then falling over would. Stepping back from the edge, she felt a little safer. Turning to face the forest, she scanned the forest, not finding anything, she didn't know how, but she knew she was being watched. Taking the gun from the back of the jeans, she held it at her side, just looking. John noticed Cameron where Cameron was, leaving Sarah at the end, he got up and walked to her. He eventually noticed the gun in her hand." Cameron, what's the matter?". Cameron didn't turn to look at him. "Someone's watching us". John looked around, not seeing anybody. "Err, I don't see anybody".

Cameron this time turned to John. "That doesn't change the fact that someone's watching us, I don't know how I know, I just know". John now felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He took out his own gun and stood just behind Cameron. Looking at the back of her neck, he could see the small hairs on her neck standing up also. "The hairs on your neck are standing up, that usually means we sense something's not right". Cameron turned and looked at John, taking step backwards, she looked and saw that his hairs were also standing up. "Yours are as well, something's not right, we need to go". John turned towards his mother, "I'll get mom, you keep a look out". John broke in t a run, getting to Sarah within seconds. "What's wrong?". John grabbed Sarah's arm and forced her up. "Someone's got Cameron spooked, we need to go".

Sarah pullet her gun out of her jacket. "Typical, one day out of the house and something happens, just typical". Reaching Cameron, they stopped when they heard the sound of a car, getting loader as the seconds went on. Cameron turned, realising that John and Sarah were there. "Lets go". The three of them moved along the pier, walking fast, they stopped just before the end when a black car came in to view from the trees on the road. The car stopped temporally before moving towards them, getting faster and faster. " Its Derek". Came Cameron's voice.

Derek had followed them since leaving the house, more determined then ever to get rid of Cameron. Sarah pulled John back along the pier. John could only watch as Derek smashed in to Cameron, sending her flying off the edge and in to the water. "CAMERON!". John ran and jumped in to the water after her. The water was freezing, but John ignored it. Cameron appeared from beneath the surface, about ten metres away form John, Panting for breath "JOHN!, HEL….".She disappeared under the water again. John swam to as quickly as he could to her location. Driving under the water himself, he could see Cameron waving her arms above her head, trying to reach the surface. Reaching out, he managed to grab her right hand. Pulling her up was difficult, due to the fact she weighted a lot more then she looked. Finally, he had his arms around her and kicked his way to the surface. Reaching the surface, both he and Cameron breathed in deeply. Cameron was coughing up water. "JOHN!, HELP ME!"

John didn't understand, Cameron didn't need to breathe and she was terrified. He put that to the back of his mind, he needed to get her out of the water. The journey back was difficult, not just because he was having to move both himself and Cameron, Cameron herself wasn't helping John swim, she was trying her hardest to keep her head above the water. Finally reaching the bank, John sat breathing deeply, he was exhausted, the cold water not helping in the slightest. With her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, Cameron refused to let go of him, still breathing in fast and deeply, her eyes fixed on the water, seemingly terrified of it. "Cameron, are you okay?, Cameron, talk to me". Cameron didn't say a word, her response was to hold John tighter. Looking down at her face, he saw nothing but fear.

John held her arms as he stood up, bringing her up with him. Cameron was breathing in deeply, her eyes still fixed on the water. John pulled her back towards him, wrapping his arms around her. Cameron rested her head on John's shoulder, her breathing gradually getting slower and more calm. John looked past Cameron towards the pier, seeing Derek and Sarah facing each other. John couldn't hear what they were saying, but due to the fact they both had guns in their hands, John knew it wasn't pleasant. John made to move towards them but Cameron held him tighter. "Cameron, look at me".

Cameron moved her head slowly away form his shoulder, green eyes met brown again. "Are you okay?". John saw something in her eyes that made him forget the cold, his heart began beating faster and faster, until it started hurting his chest. "I'm alright, I just…. I just want to go home". She spoke slowly, shivering from the cold. John removed his arms from around Cameron and she reluctantly did the same. John walked passed her towards the pier, stopping when Cameron didn't follow. Turning, Cameron was rooted to the spot, staring fearfully again at the water. John walked back to her and took her hand in to his. Cameron looked away from the water. "Cameron, I wont let anything happen to you but we need to go". She nodded and they both walked slowly towards the pier.

Cameron's CPU was in overdrive. The amount of different emotions and sensations she had felt in the last five minutes were confusing her more then ever. She knew humans felt fear, some were afraid of heights while other were afraid of spiders. She however, was afraid of being in the water, she didn't know why. Cameron was also confused about the way John was making her feel by just holding his hand. He, like her had just been in freezing cold water and yet, his hand was warm to touch. John also made her feel safer after getting her out the water, she felt safe when he wrapped his arms around her.

Derek had his shotgun in his hands and in a steady argument with Sarah. Sarah had her pistol at her side because she didn't have the strength to hold it up. "I'm not saying it again Derek, she's stays and that's final". "No, she's a machine, we should have got rid of her ages ago, she's going to kill him one day, no matter what she says or does, that's never going to change, she's a machine, not Human". Sarah never thought the day would come when she would be protecting a machine from a Human. "She's not been a machine in a long time now, In my eyes, she already is human". Derek was equally shocked to hear Sarah's words. Joining the resistance, fighting Skynet, Derek heard of Sarah Connor, fighting machines all her life before the bombs fell. This Sarah Connor wasn't the one he heard about.

This Sarah Connor was protecting a machine. He noticed movement to his left, looking up, he saw John and Cameron walking towards them, holding hands. Derek's rage got the better of him. Derek aimed his shotgun towards Cameron. John's instincts took over as he moved his body in front of Cameron's. A shot fired and John waited for the bullets to pierce his back. It never came. Brown and green eyes met again. Cameron was shivering more then John was. For a few seconds, John and Cameron stared at each other, waiting for the other to do something. They both left the trance of each other when the heard screams of agony. John turned to see Derek on the ground, holding his knee and screaming pain. Sarah held her pistol up, still aiming to where Derek was lying. Sarah seemed more shocked then John to have pulled the trigger first. John moved towards the pier, dragging Cameron along with him.

He reached Derek, bent down and picked up his shotgun form the ground. Derek reached up, trying to take the gun form John but he held it out of reach. "I'll kill that bitch, I swear it John, I'm not the only one who wants her dead". John didn't say anything, looking to his mother, he moved his head in the direction towards where they packed the car. Taking the hint, Sarah walked passed Derek, keeping her eyes away from him. "Even you would turn traitor, your worse then the greys". Sarah stopped, wondering what the hell a grey was and weather or not to shoot his other knee, instead she carried on walking. John and Cameron made after her. John still held Cameron's hand. Realising this, he tried to let go Cameron responded by gripping tighter.

Stepping in to the house half an hour later, Sarah instructed them both to go upstairs and get out the wet clothes. John led the way, still holding Cameron's hand. By this time, their skins had begun turning blue. John tried to forget the cold and led Cameron in to the bathroom. Finally letting go of his hand Cameron looked in to the mirror. She hardly recognised herself. She usually looked calm and blank but what she was seeing was a terrified looking teenager. John turned the shower on, making sure the water was hot. He took off his jacket. Throwing it to the floor, he turned Cameron to face him. "Cameron, you'll feel better after a hit shower, I promise".

Cameron nodded her head and tried to undo her jacket, finding it imposable due the way her hands were shaking. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me". John grabbed her hands and held them in his. He began rubbing them together between his. Cameron was surprised when her hands warmed up slightly. "Nothings wrong Cameron, your just cold". John then took the zip on her jacket and pulled It down, helping her out of the jacket. Dropping the jacket to the floor, water flowed from it all over the place, John thought she brought half the lake back with her. "I'm going to change, I'll be downstairs". Cameron looked towards the shower and back to him again. "Okay, I'll be out soon".

John had to think hard on what she said, her body shivering violently made it almost impossible to understand her. Taking a spare towel, he left the bathroom and closed the door. Entering his own room, he undressed himself and dried himself off. Putting on some dry warm clothes, he left his bedroom. He stopped outside the bathroom door. He wondered again why Cameron reacted the way she did in the water. She had once said that she didn't swim, but nether could Cromartie, he just suck to the bottom and walked out later. Cameron could do just the same but she didn't, she was shouting for help instead.

Leaving the door, he headed downstairs, entering the kitchen, Sarah was putting pancakes on to a plate for him. "Good timing, you better eat up before it gets cold". John ate the pancakes within a minute, he hadn't eaten anything all day. Once finished, he sat next to Sarah on the couch.. Sarah gripped her arms in pain. "You okay". "I'll be fine, I'm just tired, where's Cameron?". Looking towards the stairs, he tried to push the image of her terrified face out of his mind, without success. "She's in the shower". John looked back towards his mother. She did seem exhausted. "Something happened to her in the lake, like she was scared of the water or something, she wouldn't let go of my hand and she kept gasping for air". Sarah thought deeply on this. "She's growing more human by the day, we know she can't swim, so she could be scared of drowning and the gasping for air would be her natural reaction of getting out of the water". John was taken aback, he didn't expect Sarah to just drop every answer in one go. Noticing this she simply said "I have my moments of great intellectual knowledge, it's rare, but accurate".

They both laughed. "When she gets out, I'll talk to her, I need to know she's okay". Sarah looked up and took his hand in to her own. "I know you care John, and so does she, more then you know, trust me on that". Smiling slightly, he wondered what he was going to say, then he remembered Derek. "Derek, you shot him, I'm not saying that's a bad thing but,…. You know". Sarah closed her eyes and sat back, making herself more comfortable. "Not exactly how I wanted the day to go, but yeah I shot him, he should be graceful it was the leg and not the head". John stood up t allow Sarah to lie down on the couch. Picking up the blanket from the other chair, he placed it over Sarah. "He aimed for Cameron and you still shot him, why?". Sarah opened her eyes slightly. "I don't care for her as much as I do for you John but I still care for her". Smiling, she closed her eyes again and became still. John wrapped her up in the blanket, making sure she stays warm.

Cameron didn't come out of the bathroom for nearly three hours. John by this time had gone in the shed and cleaned the guns and was now searching the internet for anything related at all to Skynet. He hard a hard time searching, he was worried about Cameron, no matter how much he tried, he could push her out of his head. When she finally did come out, Cameron came downstairs slowly, she spotted John and came over. John closed his laptop. "Are you okay, how are you feeling?".

Cameron, biting her lip, still seemed shaken from earlier. "I'm okay I guess, I'm calm, well…..sort of". John's eyes darted to Cameron's chest. As much as he wanted to see what was under her clothes, his eyes caught something else, her chest was moving, up and down. "Your still breathing". Cameron just stared at him, then looked down at her chest. She looked back up at John. "I didn't notice, I thought I stopped". She raised her hand and held it against her chest. Feeling her chest rising then falling was new and strange. She knew she didn't need to breath so tried to stop. After a few seconds, she started to feel a need to breath again. "I can't stop, its like I need to breath but I know I don't". She seemed afraid by this so John took her hand away from her chest and placed it on his. Cameron felt John's chest rise and fall as he breathed. Cameron could also feel his heartbeat, steadily getting faster. "

Everyone needs to breath Cameron, it's the one thing that comes completely natural to everyone. There's nothing to be scared about". Cameron raised her other hand and felt her own chest. Feeling both of them breath was strange, she found that her breathing was adjusting to go at the same time as John's. "I like this, breathing, its nice". John sat down again at the table while Cameron took a seat next to him, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, taking the whole experience in.

"Cameron, what happened in the water". She opened her eyes and looked to the floor. She felt ashamed of herself, she had never once shown fear in front of John before except when he removed her chip. She decided on the truth. "I don't know, I hit the water and I was scarred, being under the water, sinking to the bottom away from the light, I just…. Wanted out, wanted to be home". Looking up, she expected John to look at her with disgust but found him smiling at her. "You don't swim Cameron, being in the water when you cant swim tends to panic people, its nothing to be ashamed about, it is scary being in the water even if you can swim". Cameron was relived, she felt a lot better when John said these words. That was until he spoke again. "Can you learn to swim at all?". Cameron had to think now, she wasn't built to swim but to walk and run, Skynet built other machines to tackle the water. "I don't know, I think I could".

Cameron honestly wasn't sure. John then had an idea, an idea that could have Cameron face her fear, he had to face his one day, so should she. "Why don't we go to the pool and I'll teach you how?". Cameron was shocked, she liked to idea of John helping her but the idea of being back in the water terrified her. "No, I hate the water, I panicked today, I'll just panic again". John cut across her. "Remember today, I had a hold of you in the water, how did you feel then? And on the bank, when we were out of the water?". Cameron remembered back, the water terrified her, but when John took her hand, she felt a sudden rush of warmth fro within her. When she was on the bank and John held her, she felt warm, calm and safe. "Safe, you made me feel safe". John smiled and held out his hand towards her and Cameron took it, unsure what he was going to do. John rubbed his fingers around hers.

The warm feeling she had from the bank of the lake returned again. Cameron copied John's hand movements, rubbing her fingers around his. A huge surge of heat fall Cameron from head to toe, she didn't know what it was but she did know she liked it. "You felt safe with me in the water, when we are in the pool, I swear nothing will happen to you, I'll look after you". Cameron smiled and leant forward, she wrapped her arms around John and hugged him. John did the same, a little shocked at her bluntness. "Thank you John". John moved his arms down her back and back up again. He couldn't see Cameron's face but he knew she liked as her breathing speeded up slightly. John let go of her and she did the same. "We can go tomorrow, we need to buy you a bikini as well, we can do that on the way". Cameron tilted her head to the side, not having an idea on what a bikini was.

John woke up the next mourning to the small of pancakes. Getting dressed and heading downstairs, he wasn't surprised to find Sarah making the pancakes. "Hey, is that for me?". Sarah jumped slightly, not knowing John was there. "No, but I'll half it with you". John got a glass of water and sat down at the table. Sarah brought the pancakes over and sat down opposite him. " You don't look so good, are you alright?". Sarah was moving uncomfortably, she seemed tense and stiff. "I'm fine, the pains coming back slowly, that's all". Taking a bite of the pancake Sarah made him, John gave her a smile of approval, her pancake making skills were second to none. Sarah couldn't help but smile back. "Did you talk to Cameron?". "Yeah, you were right, she was scared of drowning. I'm taking her to the pool today, teach her how to swim". Sarah, biting in to her own pancakes, smiled widely. "That's sweet of you, not the first time you've been sweet to her". "When was the first time?". "When you gave her the diamond, she still has it somewhere". John remembered when he gave Cameron the diamond, telling her that diamonds were a girls best friend.

"I'm going for a bath, you go wake Cameron and head off, give me some peace". Sarah got up and headed upstairs. She hadn't eaten all her pancake so John finished his an hers. Once he finished, he headed knocked on Cameron's door quietly. He didn't get a reply so he opened the door slowly and stepped inside. Cameron was in bed, fast asleep. John had told Cameron to try and sleep and dream weeks ago and since then, Cameron has slept every night with out fuss, tossing and turning as she dreamed different things every night. John watched as Cameron breathed in and out, he sat down slowly, making sure he didn't wake her. John to this moment to look at her face without hr looking back. He took in every detail over and over. He couldn't understand how Skynet could make her so beautiful, though he wasn't going to complain.

Some of Cameron's hair was covering her face. John reached over and moved it out of the way. He gently stroked her hair, the same way he did when he reinserted her chip. Cameron stirred slightly, making John remove his hand. Not wanting to wake her, John made to leave. "Hey, don't go". John saw Cameron was awake, she raised her hands and rubbed her eyes. "Morning, sorry if I woke you". Cameron simply smiled. "Yeah you did, but I liked what you were doing?". She reached out and took John's hand, raising it to her head, John began to stroke it again. Cameron closed her eyes again, enjoying the feeling of John stroking her hair. John smiled as she moaned softly.

"Are you taking me swimming later?". Cameron after saying this put her hand on John's, forcing Johns hand further through her hair, she didn't remove her hand from his. "Yeah, I'm ready to go when you are, I'll wait downstairs". As mush as she wanted him to stay and stoke her hair, Cameron removed her hand and Let John get up and leave. John closed the door behind him and sat on the couch. He liked the fact Cameron was becoming more human, smiling to himself, he tried to visualize what Cameron would like in a bikini.

Cameron came downstairs ten minutes later. John packed his swimming trunks and a towel for himself. He also packed a towel for Cameron. Both took a pistol each form the shed before setting off for the pool. The journey was silent. John tried to keep his focus off Cameron and on the road. Cameron was gradually getting more nervous as they drove, the thought of being back in the water got stronger as they stopped outside a small shop and turned the engine off. Cameron looked around. "This isn't the pool". John smiled and nodded his head towards the shop, which sold swimming gear. "You haven't got a bikini, you need one to swim or you will got noticed". Cameron had to think before realising what he meant. She smiled at herself. "Thank you for explaining". John gave her some money and she left the car for the shop. John instantly watched as she walked, his gaze falling all over her body. Cameron was walking in a way that most girls did when trying to look good. John could only guess that she knew he was watching her.

Cameron didn't come out of the shop for almost half an hour. John wasn't worried for her, he knew that if she was becoming more human, then she would adopt the female concept of taking forever to chose one item of clothing every time they entered a shop. John had spend the last fifth teen minutes listening to the local news. The wildfires in California were out of control again, some Hollywood stars were caught driving over the limit again and he was now listening to a report on how the new Zeira corporation had made a breakthrough developing AI. John had never heard of the Zeira corporation. He made a mental note to check them out on the computer when he got home. Suddenly, Cameron opened the door and got in the car. She had a bag with her so John presumed she had bought the bikini. "You took your time, what did you get?". Cameron looked at John. "You'll see". she smirked and just looked out the side window, she clearly enjoyed teasing John like that. John turned the ignition. "I guess I will". Cameron's smirk turned in to a wide smile that John couldn't see.

John and Cameron got out the car ten minutes later and walked towards the pool doors. Cameron had got gradually more nervous as they neared the building. John spoke to the woman over the checkout, arranging to be allowed in the pool. Cameron could see the pool through a window behind her. Their was no one in the pool. Cameron couldn't take her eyes away from the water, the longer she stared at it, the more scared she got. John looked to see what she was staring at. Seeing this, he walked over to her. "Cameron?". She snapped out of her trance. "I'm sorry, I just…". She never finished. She held her head down, upset that she let the fear get to her again. "Cameron, everyone gets scared, nothing to be ashamed about, I've already promised that I'll look after you and I wont break that promise". She raised her head and smiled. John held out his hand and she took it.

They walked hand in hand towards the changing rooms. "See you on the other side". John left Cameron outside the women changing rooms while he entered the men's. John changed in to his trunks and put his clothes in the locker. He didn't like the changing rooms much, it was freezing. He walked through out the changing rooms and towards the empty pool. Cameron wasn't there yet, he knew she would take her time. John walked around the edge to the deep end and dived in. The water was cold at first but he got used to it quickly. Reaching the surface again, he swam to the other end of the pool and back again. He hadn't been swimming in years, not since he lived with his foster parents. He remembered how he went with the school to learn himself, he was the first one to jump in out of everyone and the quickest to learn.

He loved swimming through the water, it made a change from running through the forest near the house. He decided the sink to the bottom and see how long he could hold his breath for. Looking towards the clock on the wall, he waited until the second hand hit twelve. He dived under towards the bottom. The deepest part of the pool was around fifteen feet deep. Getting to the bottom, he looked through the water. John had his back facing one of the walls of the pool, he faced towards to other side. Through the water, he couldn't see the other end. Looking at this was quite intimidating, the water was like mist, you could only see so far, then nothing. Needing air, he kicked from the bottom of the pool towards the surface. Getting to the surface, he looked towards the clock and found he had been down for about forty seconds. He was disappointed as he wanted to get at least a minute.

"John!". John turned in the water. His jaw dropped, he thought it could hit the bottom of the pool. Cameron was standing at the edge of the pool in a black bikini. The outlines were a light silver which caught the light. John's eyes flowed from one part of her body to the next, legs, thighs, belly button , neck, John had never seen anyone so god dam gorgeous. His eyes fixed on her breasts and despite his efforts at looking innocent, Cameron saw where his eyes were. "Eyes up John!". The look of shock on John's face brought a large smile to her face. John very reluctantly looked away, he would have been happy to stare at her body like that all day. "Sorry, I was….. never mind". He pushed himself forwards through the water towards where she was standing, Cameron was watching John swim, he found it so easy, yet her interest at his swimming skills quickly changed as her gaze fell on his muscles on his arms as he moved through the water. She liked the shape and size of them. She felt her face go red when John got to her and looked up. "Jump In then". Cameron's admiration for John's body was quickly replaced by fear. John, half forgetting why they came to the pool in the first place, remembered she didn't know how to swim. "Ah, sorry I forgot, follow me".

John climbed out of the pool and led Cameron around to the shallow end. Once there, he jumped straight back in the water. John stood up straight and faced Cameron, the water coming up to his chest. Cameron stood still, her eyes on the water. "Look, this part isn't deep, you'll be okay". Cameron stepped forward to the very edge, her toes just slipping in to the water. Her eyes widened and her breathing quickened. John quickly moved forward in to her gaze. "We'll do this one step at a time, okay". Nodding her head, she still didn't move. "First things first, just sit on the edge here and have your legs in the water". Stepping back a bit, John left enough space between himself and the side of the pool for Cameron to put her legs. She slowly sat down and lowered her legs in to the water. Her toes briefly touched John's chest as they went down.

Cameron quickly realised that there was nothing to be scared of at the moment, she slowly moved her feet from side to side, enjoying the feeling of the water going through her toes, it was a better feeling then sticking her foot out of the car window. "Okay, good, next is to get in the pool". A nervous look appeared on her face. "You'll be alright, you wont go under the water, if you want o, keep your hands on my shoulders". Cameron sighed in relieve. At least she could hold on to him, she felt safe when with him in the lake and now she would feel safe again. Holding her hands out, John moved forward, allowing her to rest her hands on him. Slowly he moved away from her, taking her arms with him and pulling her in to the pool. Slipping off the edge, Cameron fell in to the water with a small scream. She disappeared entirely for just a second before standing up straight. John could tell she was scared again because her grip on his shoulders had tightened. Her fear began to grow weaker and weaker the longer she was there, she lessened her grip on John till she had her hands were just resting on his shoulders. John was getting more impressed by the second, he had thought at one point that he would have spent the entire time trying to get her in the pool, let alone actually teaching her to swim. Her breathing became calm again and she smiled, pleased she had gotten this far. John raised his hands out of the water and put them on her shoulders. "Follow me".

He walked slowly backwards through the water, Cameron followed. They moved in to the middle of the shallow end of the pool, giving them plenty of space. Cameron looked nervously at John, unsure on what he wanted her to do next. John noticed she was nervous again and gave her an encouraging smile before talking again. "Before anything else, you need to learn how to float, keep yourself above the water with out my help, I'll show you". John took his hands away form her and moved away, her hands sliding down his shoulders in to the water. Cameron tilted her head to the side and watched as John lay back, waving his arms through the water, keeping himself afloat. He turned himself and did the same thing but chest down. He then stood straight again and moved back towards Cameron. "Your turn, I'll hold you to start and then I'll let go, just say my name when you want me the help again, okay?". Cameron nodded once, she was having trouble keeping her breathing under control. John moved behind her and placed his hands on her back.

"Just lean back and take your time". Cameron didn't move, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths. John began to run his hands over her skin. Cameron didn't know what he was doing at first but allowed him to continue, slowly getting used to the feeling. She arched herself back slightly, hoping John's hands would press more in to her skin. To her disappointed, John took it as a sign she was leaning back to float, he moved back slightly. Cameron, though a little disappointed, leant back completely. Her feet leaving the bottom of the pool, she gasped in panic as she began heading under the water. John with his arms underneath her, held her up. Cameron didn't dare move an inch in case she slipped from John's grip. John waited for her to move her arms and legs before reminding her to do so. "Cameron, move your arms and kick your feet, I've got a hold of you".

Moving her arms first, she moved then from side to side exactly how John did it before. Gradually getting more comfortable moving her arms, she started kicking her feet slowly. Keeping a hold of her, John moved himself to her side, giving himself a good birds eye view of her body. With her eyes still closed, John ran his eyes over her body. The longer he stared, the more her body became more perfect to him. Not one girl he could remember from school or from around near where they lived came close to match her beauty. For once, he thanked Skynet in his mind for making her the way she was which in his mind, was perfect in every way.

After a while, John realised that most of Cameron's weight was on his arms, instead of being spread out using her arms and legs. He also remembered that Cameron, though lighter then most other terminators, still weighed more then she looked. John tried moving his arms out from under Cameron, she opened her eyes, wondering what he was doing. "You weigh more then you look so you need to put more strength in to your arms and legs, move faster and harder". Most girls would have slapped John for saying they weighed more. Cameron didn't know what he meant for a second before remembering her endoskeleton weighed more then normal human bones. "Right". Closing her eyes again, she did what John told her. The result was exactly what John wanted, he could feel Cameron's weight on his arms getting lighter. Slowly, he began to remove his arms from beneath her. Cameron could feel his hands moving across her back. Acting instinctively, she took a deep breath expecting to go under the water in seconds.

John removed his hands from her but kept himself in a position to grab her if she did sink to far. Cameron felt John's hands leave her and the water crept towards her face. Then it stopped, the water was at the back of her ears and yet she had stopped sinking. Opening her eyes, she could see John smiling down at her. Smiling back, she couldn't believe she was swimming. She wasn't made for swimming but here she was. "I want to stop now". John moved quickly, putting his hands under her upper back, he lifted her out of the water, her feet sinking as she rose. Hitting the bottom of the pool, she stood up straight. "You okay?". Cameron looked at the water. She didn't find it intimidating anymore, after all, her skin was half made of water. "I'm fine, I'm more then fine, I'm not scared anymore". Wrapping her arms around John, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you John, for helping me". John, feeling a little uneasy with a half naked Cameron holding him, never the less wrapped his arms around her. "Lets just say this is my way to thank you for saving my life". Eventually letting go of each other, John moved back slightly till there was a half metre gap between them. Cameron raised her hands and ran then over the surface of the water. "What are you doing? Cameron kept her eyes on her hands. "Just watch". John watched as Cameron's hands stopped and stayed still. Cameron smiled as John fell in to her trap. Moving quickly, she turned her hands and threw water at John's face. John, not expecting this, swallowed half of it. Staggering back slightly, he looked at Cameron, who was having trouble controlling her laughing. "Funny, your turn". John threw water back at her, hitting her in the face.

For the next two hours, John had taught Cameron how to swim forwards and backwards properly as well as having a dozen or so water fights. John, sitting on the pool edge, his feet in the water taking a break, watched as Cameron swam from one end to other. She wasn't anywhere near as fast as him but she was good at doing what she did. John couldn't keep the thoughts of Cameron out of his head, he remembered how her skin felt, of soft yet cold it was at first but how quickly it warmed up to his touch. Trying to push the thoughts out before he would have to leave for a cold shower, he stood up, ready to dive back in to the pool. Scanning the pool before hand , he couldn't see Cameron anywhere. "John, help me out". Looking down, Cameron was right below him, holding out her hand. Shaking his head, he reach out and took her hand.

Cameron smiled as John fell in to another trap. Pulling down, John was pulled forwards in to the water. Cameron had to duck to prevent John kicking her as he fell. Getting to the surface again, John rounded on Cameron, who with a laugh, swam past him as fast as she could to the shallow end. John made after her, quickly catching up with her. He reached out and grabbed her foot. She gave a small scream of surprise as she stopped moving forward. "That's not fair". She couldn't stop laughing as John picked her up out of the water, John held her in his arms as if he had just carried her out of a burning building. Cameron wrapped her arms around his neck to let John get his balance. John carried her towards the side of the pool, Cameron expected John to put her down there, but John dropped her just before hand. Rising from the water, Cameron shot him a disapproving look.

"That wasn't funny". John stopped laughing, thinking he had upset her, that changed when she threw more water at him. Moving forward, he wrapped his arms around her, trapping her arms preventing her from throwing more water. "Okay, you win". Both stopped laughing when they looked in to each others eyes. Cameron felt suddenly nervous, John was so close and looking right at her. John's grip loosened, allowing her to move her arms. Raising them, she rested her hands on his shoulders. John having his hands wrapped around her, moved his hands in a circular motion over her back. Closing her eyes for a second, the warm feeling in her skin at John's touch retuned. She let out a soft moan, hoping John wouldn't notice. John however, did notice her moan. He kept one of his hands on her back, moving the other to her arm, rubbing up and down.

Cameron also began to move her hands slowly across his chest. She could feel his heartbeat through his chest, which was beating extremely fast. She thought if it beat any faster, it would burst from his chest. Both their breaching increased, they could feel each others on their faces. Cameron didn't know what to do, she just looked in to John's green eyes. Looking back at her brown eyes, John heavily debated in his mind what to do. He wanted to kiss her so badly yet debated wheatear to do it or not. Ignoring the fact that deep down, he knew she was a machine, John leant forwards and kissed her before pulling away again quickly.

Cameron just stared back at John, trying to understand the feeling she received when he kissed her. Due to her just staring, John began stuttering apologies to her. Cameron didn't listen to a word he said, she herself leant forward and kissed John, shutting him up. John, taken aback, moved his hand slowly to the back of her head, Cameron responded by pressing herself against John. Both of them had their breath taking away as they rubbed their lips across each others. Cameron didn't think about what she was doing, she didn't copy John, she just went with the flow and judging from John's responses, she was doing it right. John pushed himself and Cameron to the side, pressing Cameron against the side of the pool. Cameron used one hand to hold herself up and the other on John's back, pulling him closer to her. They continued kissing, taking deep breaths as they went. John's heart was beating so fast it started to become painful. John pressed forward to take control of the kiss, forced his tongue in to Cameron's mouth. Cameron, allowed him in and pressed their tongues against each other. John was surprised on how Cameron would know what to do but quickly forgot about it. They eventually broke the kiss, both out of breath, keeping their foreheads pressed together.

John kept a firm hold on Cameron, running his hand across her cheek. He didn't know what to do next, her brown eyes kept any form of thought out of his head. "Cameron, I…". He couldn't think of anything to say. He just smiled at her, a smile of which she retuned. Cameron couldn't think of anything to say either, she just looked in to John's eyes, knowing that she wanted more then anything else at this monet was to kiss him again. Leaning forward, Cameron pressed her lips against John's. This kiss was far more intense then the first one, Cameron wrapped one of her legs around John and he rubbed her leg with his free hand. Cameron felt like she was on fire , the pleasure she was receiving from this was a thousand times stronger then anything she experienced before. She began digging her nails in to John shoulder as the pleasure began to overpower her.

SPLASH!, the sound of someone hitting the water could be heard at the other end of the pool behind then. Breaking the kiss, they both looked over at a group of teenagers who had just arrived, one by one jumping in to the pool. Cameron felt a surge on anger towards to group, wanting to go over and break their necks. John smirked when he noticed her anger on her face. "We better go". John pushed himself off Cameron reluctantly. Following John towards the ladder out of the pool. John let Cameron go first, giving him another good view of Cameron's body. Getting out himself, they headed for their separate changing rooms.

John spent the next ten minutes having a very cold shower, needing to cool down after what happened in the pool. Getting dressed, he noticed the nail marks on his shoulder he got from Cameron. Rubbing the marks with his finger, he wondered if Cameron would have cut down to his bones if they weren't interrupted. Leaving the changing room, he found her waiting for him in the corridor. Without a word, they turned to leave, walking side by side. Gradually, the hands drew closer, before coming together.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Two in the morning, John cheeped along the hallways towards Cameron's room, being extremely careful not to stand on any creaky floorboards. Carefully and slowly opening Cameron's door, John stepped inside. If John didn't know better, he would say he had stepped in to a typical teenagers room. Cameron had spend most of the previous night trying on different outfits. Afterwards, she promptly dumped most of the clothes on the floor before going to bed. John opened her bedside table and began to look though its contents of the drawer, every now and then looking over to Cameron, who was fast asleep and hoping she remained that way. John found it hard to find what he was looking for due to the darkness. Finally, he removed his hand, holding up in his fingers was the diamond that he gave her as a friendly gesture.

Closing the drawer, he stood up and gazed at Cameron. She only movement from her was the rising and falling of her chest as she breathed. John reached out and stroked her hair for a few moments, stopping as Cameron turned her body to her side, facing John but remaining asleep. She moaned slightly, moving her body further under the blanket, apparently due to the cold chill in the room from John leaving the door open on his way in. John reached for the blanket and pulled it up slightly to her shoulder. She appeared to be comfortable again as she stopped moving. John stroked her hair again before backing out of the room slowly. Closing the door, he looked again at the diamond before heading slowly back to his room. As the night went on, Cameron tossed and turned as her dream gradually became a nightmare.

_She was back in the future, guarding the entrance to the bunker. Two machine's appeared a the entrance, both T-600s. Raising her rifle, she fired at the closest to her, destroying it instantly. The second advanced on her, she kicked it backwards, throwing the machine to the floor. Moving forward, she placed her foot of the machines chest plate, holding it down. She fired at its head, destroying it. Noticing something was watching her, Cameron looked up, standing in front of her, was another Cameron. She had cuts on her face that weren't healing as hers did, and she was breathing. This wasn't Cameron, this was Allison Young. "Allison?, how is this possible?". Tears began to fall down Allison's cheeks. She raised her arm, showing Cameron her bracelet, the bracelet Cameron took after killing her. Cameron's surroundings began to disappear in to darkness, including Allison until everything was gone._

_Cameron found herself back in the present, outside in the sun. Looking around, she was in the middle of a children's playground. None of the children or any of the parents noticed Cameron, as if she wasn't there. Walking around slowly, Cameron watched the children play on the swings, the slides and watched a mother helping her son to walk. Looking closely, she noticed the woman was a much younger Sarah. The boy she was helping walk was a baby John. Sarah held John up as he slowly walked in circles. Eventually, John was able to walk without support and quickly ran in Cameron's direction. He ran in to Cameron's legs and fell backwards. Bending down, Cameron helped John to his feet. She looked up, expecting to find Sarah, but not seeing her anywhere. Looking back at John, she saw his young green eyes. John smiled at her and held out his hand. In the palm of his hand was a diamond. _

_Holding out her hand, John gave her the diamond. "Happy birthday", he tuned and walked away. Cameron looked at the diamond and realised it was the same diamond that John gave her not long after meeting him. She stood up, finding the park to now be empty. Sensing she was being watched, she turned around, she was faced again by Allison. Tears falling down her cheek, she looked up towards the sky. Cameron looked up also and saw the missiles that destroyed the world flying up towards their targets. Fear gripped Cameron, she had failed to stop Judgement day. Looking back at Allison, Allison took off her bracelet and handed it to her. Taking the bracelet, Cameron held it with the diamond. Allison began to fade away along with Cameron's surroundings again. Before disappearing, Allison said two words, before everything disappeared. "No fate"._

_Cameron now found herself back home, standing outside in the middle of the night. Facing away from the house, she saw an orange glow on the trees. Turning around, the house was on fire. The flames was coming out of most of the windows. "JOHN!". Screaming his name, Cameron ran to the front door, kicking it down. A huge back draft of flames threw Cameron away from the house. Getting back up, she saw Allison again, standing beside the shed. She was watching Cameron with interest. Looking again towards the house, she again ran to the front door and inside the house. _

_Running around the burning house, Cameron found Sarah's body at the bottom of the stairs, multiple bullet wounds in her chest and head. Panicking, she ran upstairs in to John's room. She found John on the floor, over a dozen bullet holes in his chest. Standing over him was a woman Cameron had never seen before. Her hair was a red colour and she didn't show any emotion as she turned and faced Cameron. A twisted smile formed on the woman's face as she raised her arms, her hands became a silver liquid, it was a T1001. Her whole body turned to silver, before a flash of light blinded Cameron for a brief moment. Once she could she again, the T1001 was gone. "John? No, no, no, John please no"._

_She bent down next to him, trying to shake him awake. "John, please wake up, JOHN!". Tears formed and fell down Cameron's cheeks. She opened John's eyes. The bright green eyes that she wanted desperately to see were dark and empty, John was dead. The fire that had engulfed the house began to die as if the flames refused to burn any longer in this moment of sadness as Cameron held John in her arms. She stroked John's hair as tears fell on his face from her eyes. She held her other hand to his chest, there was no heartbeat. Screaming as loud as she could, she held her forehead against John's shaking his body, hoping he would start the breath again. "Why are you like this?". Cameron looked up, Allison was standing in John's doorway. "You killed me, to take my place, to get close to him and yet, when he's dead, you cry, why?". Cameron looked down at John, she couldn't bring herself to believe that John was gone forever. "I told him once, but he didn't believe me". Allison walked forwards and sat down opposite Cameron. "You told him what?"._

_Looking back at Allison, Cameron felt her eyes fill with even more tears as she spoke. "I was broken and then I was me again, he didn't know I was fixed, I told him how I felt about him". Cameron reached in to her pocket and pulled out the bracelet and the diamond. Dropping the bracelet, she held the diamond in her fingers. "What do you feel?". Allison reached out and took the bracelet from the floor. "I feel…. I love him". Allison tilted her head to the side, staring at Cameron, shock filling her face. "You love him?". Cameron, still holding the diamond, rubbed John's cheek with the back of her hand. "More then anything". Allison, after a moments hesitation, handed Cameron back her bracelet. _

_Cameron took it, surprised at this. "Why are you giving me this, I killed you for it". Allison simply smiled. "I forgive you, I thought you were nothing more then a machine, trying to kill us, to kill him but I was wrong, like so many others are about you". Allison stood up and backed out of the room. "Things are going to change Cameron, you need to be ready more then he does when it happens". With a smile, she began to fade in to darkness. The room began to fade, the darkness getting closer to her and John. Cameron looked down at him, tears still falling from her eyes. "John, I love you". Moving her head towards John's, she kissed him deeply. Raising her head, she watched as John began to fade along with the rest of the room. As he disappeared, his green eyes, that were once dark and empty, was now suddenly full of life again. _

Cameron sat bolt upright, waking from her dream. Breathing in quickly, she looked around her room, expecting to find everything burnt. Realising it was a dream and that the house was fine, she got out of bed and looked out of the window. Nothing but a clear night could be seen as she gazed towards the stars, admiring their beauty and purity, the stars were the one thing Skynet or Humans could never touch, they were free. While she looked, the images of John lying dead on the floor, filled her mind. Despite knowing it was just a dream, she tuned and left her room. Walking quickly but quietly down the hall, upon reaching John's door, she shivered and rubbed her arms, as she was just in her unaware. Opening his door and stepping inside, she could see John asleep on his bed, his arm dangling of the side on to the floor. Walking over, she looked over his chest, not seeing any bullet wounds.

The only cuts on John being the nail marks on his shoulder from the day before. Satisfied that John was fine, she left his room and want back to bed. Lying down and pulling the blankets over her, she recalled her dream. It had been so real, so real that Cameron was almost sure that Allison Young, the girl she killed in the future, was really in her dream talking to her. This Allison had forgiven her and willingly handed her the bracelet. Cameron doubted the real Allison would have given her the bracelet willingly if given the opportunity or would have forgiven her. Cameron thought it nice however, that there was a possibility that she would be forgiven for her actions, for killing Allison Young, because this act of killing, filled Cameron with so much guilt, that when she had a gun to future John Conner's head, she found herself unable to pull the trigger and instead found herself, begging John to help her, a request John accepted, despite knowing what she had done. Eventually, Cameron's thoughts drifted away, allowing her to fall again to sleep.

Getting out of bed hours later was hard for Cameron, she found herself so comfortable that she forced herself to get up and get dressed. Before leaving her room, she picked up all her clothes and put them away, taking her time putting them away all neatly and in a certain order. Finally done, she left her room. Downstairs, she found Sarah lying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket watching TV. "Hey, you okay, I heard you moving around last night". Cameron sat down next to her, then recalled the previous night. "I had a dream, or a nightmare, it woke me up". "You'll get used to it, everyone has nightmares". She moved uncomfortably as she spoke.

Cameron touched her cheek with her hand, Sarah rolled her eyes, not wanting to be examined every time she's in pain but not stopping her either. "You can't have anymore of it for at least six hours, its not fully out of your system yet, any more now would kill you". Sarah, half relived , half disappointed, didn't respond, happy to know she wouldn't have to taste the disgusting odour as she drinks down the brown liquid but disappointed that the pain will increase over the next six hours. "In dreams, nightmares, do you see death". Sarah, used to remote to turn the TV off. "Sometimes, it depends on what your feeling at the time or it just happens, what did you see". Cameron wanted to keep most of the details of the dream to herself, consisted her words carefully before speaking. "I saw,…. You were dead and then so was John, I couldn't do anything to help and I….".

She stopped as tears began to form in her eyes. "It scared me". "Most times, a dream is just a dream, a nightmare is just a nightmare, but sometimes it can be more, like you might need a question that needs answering, the dream wont tell you where you can get it but will point you in the right direction". Cameron took in her words, still looking at the blank TV screen. "I have a question and In the dream, I was told things, I don't know what they mean". She looked at Sarah, hoping for some help. "Don't tell me anything about what you heard, dreams like that, you just need to figure things out for yourself, no one can help you, not me and not John". Cameron frowned and nodded her head, knowing that Sarah meant her words, she decided not to press the matter. "Where's John?", realising that she hasn't seen him yet. "He went out, don't know where, he said something about a surprise and he would be back in a few hours". "He shouldn't be out on his own, he's exposed out there by himself". Sarah frowned as did Cameron, both knowing that John hasn't given his own safety a second thought in a while. "I told him that, but you know what he's like".

Cameron smiled, knowing full well what John was like, knowing full well the feeling of having his lips pressed against hers, knowing full well the feeling of his hand running over her skin. Sarah, trying to ignore the pain from inside, closed her eyes. Cameron, he thoughts set firmly on John, looked out of the window, not realising until she was half way across the yard that Kacy, their landlady, was trying to get to the house, holding her stomach in pain. "Sarah!, Something's wrong with Kacy". Getting up and going outside, Cameron ran towards Kacy, now almost crawling towards the house. "Kacy, what's wrong?". Kacy could hardly speck through gritted teeth. "Cameron, I need… the baby…. Its coming,…the baby's coming". Cameron helped Kacy to her feet, allowing her to put all her weight on her shoulders. Taking her to the house, Sarah held open the door for them. "Sarah, the baby's coming, she needs to get to hospital".

Sarah, looked out in to the drive, where the car would normally be parked. "John's took the car and all of the phones were destroyed in the accident. Cameron helped Kacy to the couch, then looked at Sarah with confusion. Their was no accident and the phones were fine, then remembering that having an ambulance turn up at the house was a major security risk, putting them on the radar. Nodding her head at Sarah, Cameron backed away as Sarah knelt next to Kacy, explaining the situation. "What?, I need to get to a hospital, the baby's coming, I cant have the bay here, ARGHHHHHH!". It was obvious that she was to far gone to have got to the hospital in time either way. Cameron, stepped back, having full knowledge of Human reproduction and Human birth in her memory, but the thought of actually watching a baby be born frightened her. After more screams of pain, Kacy nodded her head. "Okay, Okay, I'll do it here, the baby's coming". Sarah positioned herself in front of Kacy, knowing what to expect as she gave birth to John alone in the middle of a forest years ago. "Kacy, you know what you have to do, push at the contractions, Cameron, get a bowl of warm water, and some towels, quickly".

Cameron did what she was told, filling a large bowl with warm water, she returned back and put it next to Sarah, then running upstairs for some towels. Cameron half thought to just stay upstairs, not wanting to return. Kacy's screams, brought her to her senses. Returning with the towels, and dropping them next to Sarah, Cameron saw Kacy's face, completely red and covered in sweat. "Not long now Kacy, Cameron, hold her hand". Cameron sat down and took Kacy's out reached hand. Every time Kacy had a contraction, her grip on Cameron's hand tightened dramatically, Cameron use her other hand to move Kacy's hair from her face and rubbed to top of her hand. "Cameron, talk to her, keep her calm". Cameron, despite knowing what was happening, didn't have the faintest idea on what to tell Kacy. She gave Sarah a helpless look. "Kacy, your doing fine, almost there, keep going".

Kacy nodded and took huge deep breaths. Cameron understood now and continued on what Sarah had said. "Just keep going, I've got you hand, everything's going to be okay". Sarah nodded her approval, impressed by Cameron's words. After a while, Cameron thought the baby would never come until Sarah face expression changed from concern to delight. "I can see the head, almost there Kacy". Kacy was close to passing out at this point. Cameron couldn't see anything from where she was positioned. "Okay, push!". Kacy pushed and Cameron could she the head of the baby come in to view. "Only the shoulders left Kacy, one last push then its over".

Cameron found it hand to concentrate on Kacy, the baby's head was fascinating to see. "Kacy, your ok, one lat push, come on". Sarah held out her arms, ready to catch the baby. Kacy then screamed and pushed with all her might, the baby's shoulders were free and the baby came out, in to Sarah's arms. Kacy's grip leased on Cameron's hand. Her head hitting the back of the couch, she couldn't stop laughing in relief and happiness. Sarah wrapped a towel around the baby, stood up and placed the baby it to Kacy's arms. "Congratulations, it's a girl". Cameron felt a wave of warmth surge thought her, the baby was the mot beautiful thing she had ever witnessed, even more so then the stars she saw last night. The baby cried away as her mother candled her, Cameron and Sarah sitting either side of her, all overwhelmed by the site before them.

Kacy allowed Sarah to wash the baby before wrapping her in a fresh towel and giving her back. Kacy sat upright on the couch, holding her daughter as she slept. "You want me to call anybody?". Sarah said the words before remembering that earlier she said the phones were damaged. "Yeah, Trevor, call Trevor". Relived that Kacy didn't notice, Sarah snuck painfully in to the kitchen to phone him. Cameron, still sitting by Kacy, hadn't said a word for a while. She couldn't understand how many parents abandon their children when what she was seeing in Kacy's arms was so beautiful, why would they leave their children?. "Cameron, you alright?". Cameron looked up, not knowing who spoke, thinking she was by herself for a moment. "Yes, I'm okay, what you going to call her?". Kacy looking at her daughter, didn't reply right away.

"I haven't decided yet, their a hundreds to choose from, that's what I hate by names, you can only pick one". Cameron smiled, that was true, she had automatically called herself Cameron in the future when John asked it, not knowing why she choose it at random, and not knowing why she couldn't bring herself to change it. "You want to hold her". Cameron's eyes widened in shock. "What?, no, no, I couldn't, I don't know how". Kacy smiled and moved herself, pushing the baby towards Cameron. Holding out her shaking hands, Cameron allowed Kacy to place the baby in to her arms. Kacy then moved Cameron's arms so she held the baby in a comfortable position, so her head was held up correctly. Kacy watched as Cameron instinctually rocked to baby slowly from side to side without even realising she was doing it.

Cameron couldn't compare this moment to any other. Raising her free hand, she stoked the baby's ting hand, the baby, gradually, squeezed Cameron's small finger. "See, she likes you". Cameron looked up to Kacy, seeing her smile at how well she was doing. Looking down at the baby, she came to a sudden conclusion. "I have an idea, for a name". Kacy, interested shifted herself slightly. "Oh yeah, what name?". Cameron, still looking at the baby, remembered her past, and her dream. Knowing that she did something terrible, this was in her mind, a start in making up for it. "Allison". Looking at Kacy, she saw her nodding, indicating she liked the name. "Yeah, Allison will do just nicely, that's her name then, Allison". Cameron smiled, thankful that this small indication of making up for his past, was something she could use to look towards the future with hope, instead of despair.

Unnoticed by either of them, Sarah had watched and listened to their entire conversation, seeing the joy in Cameron's face at holding the baby and also in naming the baby. Sarah now looked at Cameron a little differently from before, seeing her help Kacy and holding the baby, filled Sarah with sadness. Though Cameron had grown so much on the past weeks from a machine who couldn't control or understand emotions to a young woman, growing up and feeling things for the first time, like a human should. Sarah's sadness was fuelled by the site before her, seeing Cameron hold baby Allison in her arms. No matter how much Cameron changed to become more Human, she could never become a mother, something that upset Sarah because she could already she Cameron's reactions with baby Allison were natural for a mother to do. Also, Sarah knew that with her growth from machine to human, she would want children of her own, but the machine part of her, would always prevent that from happening. Making sure they wouldn't notice, she backed in to the kitchen, strongly ignoring the pain she was suffering and called Trevor, to tell him the news that he was a dad.

"Trevor's on his way". Kacy didn't hear her, having fallen asleep on the couch. Cameron didn't look up at Sarah's words, her eyes fixed on baby Allison's hand which still gripped her small finger. Smiling at Cameron, Sarah considered whether or not to take Allison away from her. Deciding against this as Cameron looked like she wouldn't give her up ifs she did try and take her, Sarah could hear the sound of a car coming from the drive. Thinking it was too quick for Trevor to be here already she walked to the window, her hand ready to reach for the gun hidden on the windowsill. Seeing that it was her car and John stepping out of it, she sighed in relief and left the house, meeting John by the car. "Hey, where have you been?". John smiled before opening the side door, picking up a small box and handing it to Sarah.

Holding the box with both hands, she saw the logo of the cake shop that she sent Cameron to before the car bomb. "What we celebrating?". John didn't answer, he closed the doors and locked the car up, holding in his hand was an even smaller box wrapped up in silver wrapping paper. "You'll see". Rolling her eyes at the look on John's face, she walked beside him back to the house. John wasn't expecting to see what he did when he came home. He saw Kacy asleep on the couch but more shockingly to him, he saw Cameron sitting next to her, holding a baby in her arms. "errr, what?". Looking at Sarah, who was highly amused by the look on John's face, he looked back on forth between her and Cameron and the baby. "Kacy had the baby, its it Okay?". Sarah walked passed him to the kitchen muttering "See for yourself", as she walked by.

John, placing the box in had in his hand on to the table next to the door, walked towards Cameron, careful not to make her jump and drop the baby. "Hey, you alright". Cameron didn't look up, just kept her eyes on the baby. "I'm okay, her names Allison". The sense of pride in a voice went unnoticed by John who was looking from the baby to her and back again, watching as Cameron moved her finger through the babies hand. "How do you know what your doing?". "I don't, I'm just doing what I think I should". Only when John raised his hand and stroked her hair, did she look up. "Your doing just fine". John walked towards the kitchen and out of site, Cameron's eyes followed his every more before he disappeared, a deep love for him surged through her body as he left, Cameron wanted nothing more then to follow and kiss John again, but with the baby in her arms, she didn't move from her spot.

Trevor turned up twenty minutes later, overjoyed at seeing his daughter for the first time but disappointed he wasn't there when she was born. After leaving with Kacy and Allison for the hospital, John went in to the kitchen, leaving Cameron in the living room. Sarah followed John. "So, now are you going to tell me what's with the cake". John opened the box, showing Sarah the cake he bought. Written on top in white icing was _Happy birthday Cameron._

"Its her birthday, erm, she wasn't born remember". John put the cake on to a plate. "I know she wasn't born, she was built, but today is when she, came in to existence, its just as good a birthday and it needs celebrating". Sarah smiled, knowing that saying that Cameron wasn't born was true but not nice. "Yeah, it does need celebrating, she helped Kacy today so she deserves this". Sarah watched as John put a single candle in the middle of the cake before lighting it with a lighter. "I'll go get her, I'll make something up". John waited as Sarah made up she needed the pain relief now. Despite Cameron's protests that she had to wait another half an hour at least, Cameron walked in to the kitchen, followed by Sarah. "I've got to make Sarah some….". She stopped, having seen the cake. Moving forwards, she read the words on top.

Shock filled Cameron, she didn't think John would have remembered her telling her the date she was built. John could only wait and see if Cameron liked what he had done. When she did look up, her eyes filled with tears, he walked over holding his arms out. Wrapping his arms around her and she him, Cameron didn't know why she was crying, she was happy John had remembered and even more so that she helped bring baby Allison in to the world. "Thank you, I don't know what else to say". "Its okay, I'm glad you like it". Sarah watched at the two interacting with one another, knowing full well that they were no longer two teenagers just embracing, they were two teenagers embracing and deeply in love with one another. John was failing miserable at hiding his feelings from his mother, so much that Sarah had to fight herself to not laugh.

"Cameron, you need to blow out the candle, its an old tradition, make a wish first then blow it out". Cameron stood next to the cake, leaning forward. "What wish?". John sitting down opposite her, was sure he had forgotten something. "Don't tell us what it is, make the wish in your head". Not arguing at this strange tradition, Cameron thought of something she wanted. It was only now when she thought about it that she realised she wanted many things. She wanted to tell John that she loved him, more then anything in the world, she also wanted Sarah to be healthily again, to not suffer every day until she died. Judgement day, she didn't want it to happen, to see a world she has lived in and come to enjoy to be destroyed and in its place, a world of anger, despair and fear to take its place. Unable to decide between the three, she wished for them all before blowing out the candle. With a cheer from both John and Sarah, they cut the cake and dug in. Cameron, having never tasted cake before, had three slices, loving the chocolate flavour of the icing on her tongue.

Full of cake, John began looking around the kitchen for the second box he brought with him. Not remembering bringing it in to the kitchen, he went towards the door and found the box, wrapped in silver wrapping paper, sitting on the table by the door. Heading back to the kitchen, Sarah and Cameron were digging in to their last slices of cake. John placed the box in front of Cameron on the table. "Happy birthday". Cameron, who did not even consider for a second that John would remember her birthday, let alone get her a cake or present, opened her mouth and closed it again twice before giving up and opening her present. John stood back and avoided his mothers gaze as Cameron ripped the silver wrapping paper away, holding in her hands a square black box. Opening it, Cameron cried out in shock and look to John in amazement.

John couldn't get the grin off his face as she took out a gold chained necklace, on the end was Cameron's diamond. John caught Sarah's eye, looking over, Sarah rolled her eyes at him in a that's just typical John fashion. Cameron didn't know when John took the diamond from her room but she didn't care in the slightest, she couldn't describe the feeling of gratitude she was feeling towards John, every word she read in the dictionary didn't come close. Not being able to say anything, Cameron stood and wrapped her arms around John. Sarah. Cameron's grip around John was tight, causing him some discomfort, but John didn't say a word. Pushing her away, He raised his hands and took hold of the necklace. Cameron watched as he pulled the ting leaver with his nail, opening the gap in the chain. Cameron, smiling turned around and lifted her hair out of the way, allowing John to wrap the necklace around her neck. Letting go of the necklace, Cameron walked away from him, letting go of her hair. She turned around, letting John and Sarah see her wearing the necklace.

John didn't think h had seen anything more beautiful in his life. In front of him was the girl he had fallen for, didn't have the nerve to tell her and she was wearing a diamond around her neck, which caught the light, making Cameron glow slightly. "Well, what do you think?". John didn't answer at first, a piece of chocolate cake hitting the side of his face from Sarah's direction made him talk. "It looks great". He couldn't have said it more awkwardly. Going red in the face as Sarah laughed at him. He noticed Cameron face expression had changed from a simple smile to something else, he face also going red, she looked to the floor, trying to not be noticed as if she were embarrassed by Sarah's laughing. Sarah had to force her self to stop, holding her chest in pain. Cameron seeing this, walked over, touched her hand for a few seconds, gave Sarah a nod before opening the cupboards and taking out what she needed.

Putting the glass of brown liquid down in front of Sarah, Cameron stood next to John. "I wont work as well as before, the more you drink, the less effective it becomes, I'm sorry". Sarah picked the glass up. "As long as it helps with this, I'm okay with it". Holding her nose, John and Cameron both closed their eyes, not being able to look as Sarah gulped the liquid as quickly as she could, coughing half of it back up before having to drink it again. Once she finished, she slammed the glass to the table. "Either my taste buds are trying to tell me its disgusting or your getting worse at making the stuff". A small smirk formed on all their faces before everyone burst out laughing. They spend the rest of the night telling stories to one another, more Sarah talking about her school years and the things she and her friends got up to. John told a few about his early school years, and Cameron, having never went to school, remained silent. Cameron, having only heard a few things about Sarah's past from future John, found her stories fascinating.

Later, once they ran out of stories, Sarah stated her intension to go to bed, totally exhausted from the pain earlier, leaving John and Cameron alone. Before leaving, Sarah took John aside. "I think you should tell her, how you feel, its obvious she feels the same about you, and its her birthday, make this her real present". John, looked over to Cameron sitting on the couch, holding her diamond in her hand, knowing full well how he felt for her, and not having a clue how he was going to tell her. Sarah didn't wait for John to reply to her words, instead giving him a strong push towards Cameron, nearly pushing him off his feet, she turned and disappeared upstairs. John took a seat next to Cameron, his hands covered in sweat as his nerves began to get to him, he tried wiping his hands on his jeans, with no effect. Cameron, holding up her diamond in her hand, let go of it and turned to John. "John, thank you for today, I've never had a better day then this one before". John, almost shaking now, turned to face her. "It's not a problem, you deserve it and your worth it". The last part escaped his mouth before he relished it, he frowned in frustration in having such a hard job at staying calm. "John, what's wrong?, your shaking". It was true, his hands were shaking, he had been scared before, when terminators were trying to kill him, hiding behind bookshelves to keep himself hidden, but the nerves were getting worse by the second and Cameron staring at him wasn't helping matters. "Cameron, I need to tell you…".

John had her full attention now, Cameron's breathing picked up as she waited for him to speak. "Tell me what?". Deep down, she knew what it was, she just needed to hear it. "I'm sorry, I'll see you tomorrow". With that, John got up and went upstairs, he could feel Cameron's eyes following him as her went. Opening and closing his door, he kicked the end of his bed. He couldn't tell her, he had the chance and he blew it. The future leader of mankind, the one person everyone looks to in the future couldn't even say to Cameron that he loved her. Knowing full well he couldn't face seeing Cameron again tonight, having just left her alone downstairs, he got ready for bed and tried to get some sleep. He heard Cameron pass his room minutes later and her door closing behind her as she went to bed. John now felt worse then he had in a while, Cameron had told him she had had the best day today, and he went and ruined it for her by not telling her. Punching his pillow, he spend the next hour debating in his head whether to go talk to her, deciding against it as he thought he would be asleep by now. Things changed when his bedroom door opened. John not hearing anyone walk towards his door, automatically reached under his bed for his pistol, only to aim it at Cameron.

He dropped his aim at once. "Sorry, I didn't hear you". John dropped the gun back under his bed. Cameron stepped in to his room, closing the door behind her. Before John could react, she pulled back the blanket and got in to bed next to him, pulling the blanket over them both. Lying on her side, she took John's hand in to her own, stroking his finger with her thumb. "Can I stay here tonight? I don't want to be alone". John, still in shock by her being there, gave her a small nod, before moving himself on to his side, facing her. "John, I need to feel something for me". John's heart pumped faster. "Feel what?". Cameron, taking John's hand, guided it to her chest. John couldn't believe what he was feeling under her skin. Through his fingertips, he could feel the beating of a heart. "But you don't have one, how?". Cameron, seemed just as surprised as he was, moved her hand to John's chest, feeling his heart beat. "I don't know, you left me downstairs and I felt the beating, it just started". John, felt Cameron's beating heart pick up speed as he moved his fingers slightly. "I need to tell you, I tried telling you before but….". He couldn't find the right words, but as he spoke, he could feel her heart beat pick up pace. "You don't have to say it". Never the less, John took three long deep breaths before saying finally, "I love you". Cameron's heart rate increased ten fold. "I've always loved you". Smiling, she learnt forwards and kissed John. Not another word was said as the night went on, as they made love for the first time.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Cameron eyes flickered open suddenly in the early hours of the morning, the sun only beginning the shine on the city of LA. She found herself in exactly the same position she was when she fell asleep the night before, lying on her side, her right arm across John's chest, her hand resting on his shoulder. She had her head resting on his chest, rising up and down as John breathed. He had his arm wrapped around her back, his hand resting on her shoulder, her hair entwined between his fingers , having been stocking it the previous night. Turning her head ever so slightly, she could see John eyes were closed. "John?". she whispered as quietly as she could.

As John didn't respond, she guessed he was still asleep. Moving her head back, she moved around slightly, getting comfortable again. She smiled at herself, not knowing any time she had been more happy. She helped Kacy give birth, named baby Allison, ate chocolate cake with Sarah, received her diamond necklace from John, then telling him she loved him after he told her the same and then spending the night together. Cameron moved her other hand to her chest, beneath her skin, she could feel her heart beat, despite not having a heart. Though this occurrence was less likely then breathing, she didn't wish for it to stop, the beating making her feel more human.

John began to stir, Cameron guessing she had woken him when she moved around. Turning to face him again, she saw his eyes slowly open and close again a few times focusing on her and a wide smile appeared on his face. "Hey, sleep okay?". Cameron returning the smile, moved herself up the bed, resting her head on the pillow next to John, who turned himself to face her. "I'm fine, I slept like your bed more then mine". John began stroking her hair again. "Why's that?". Rising her arm, she took hold of John's other hand and held it in her own, locking their fingers together. "Because you kept me warm when I sleep, when I'm in my bed, I'm always cold".

Smiling, he leant forward and kissed her, a kiss she retuned with equal passion. Breaking the kiss, John couldn't stop staring in to her brown eyes, getting more beautiful the more he look, then he remembered something Cameron told him. "You told me, before what happened in Mexico, you said that you could never be happy". Cameron, remembering what she said when they lay next to each other on the bed, she said that she was a machine and could never be happy, at the time, she thought she was telling the truth. "I guess I lied". Both smiling, they kissed each other again. Pressing their foreheads together, they drifted back off to sleep.

Sarah woke a few hours later, her arms and legs stiffer then normal. It was getting harder every day for Sarah, her muscles were tense, her limbs stiff and she was in constant pain from the tumours. Knowing she was going to die but not knowing how long she had till then was driving her mad. Every night she wonders what will happen to John when she's gone. Will he be safe?. Will he be able to become the leader everyone needs?. Will he service even Judgement day?. She repeated those questions in her head every night, over and over, hoping for an answer, but never getting one. Getting out of bed and dressed, she looked out of the window seeing Kacy's house in the distance.

Making a mental note of call Kacy later in the day to ask how baby Allison was, she turned and left her room. Coming in to the hallway, the first thing she noticed was Cameron's bedroom door was opened, strange as she usually has it closed. Standing in the doorway, she saw her bed hadn't been slept in. Without thinking, she went to John's room and pressed her ear to the door. Not hearing anything, she slowly opened the door. Instantly looking to the bed, she could see both Cameron and John in the bed asleep. Sarah looked around the room, seeing the discarded clothes on the floor made it clear what they go up to last night. Smiling, she muttered "About time", under her breath. Cameron moved slightly when she said this, Sarah thought she had heard her, but she carried on sleeping. Sighing in relieve, she closed the door and left.

Getting downstairs, she made herself some pancakes for breakfast. Eating the pancakes, she thought of what she saw in John's room, thinking it ironic that months ago, she would have killed both of them for what they had done, but now, she couldn't care less, being happy for both of them. Finishing her pancakes, she took her phone and called Kacy. "Hey Kacy, just calling to see how you and baby Allison are?". "Hi Sarah, yeah, we got home last night, Allison's sleeping at the minute, listen, thanks for your help yesterday and Cameron, couldn't have done it with out either of you". "Its okay, I like to think you would do the same for me". "Course I would, anyways, can you come by later?, Trevor's been called in to work and I kind of haven't got a clue what I'm doing with Allison". "Yeah, I'll get thongs sorted here and I'll be right down". "Thanks Sarah, see you soon". Hanging up the phone, Sarah wrote a note for John and Cameron.

_Gone to see Kacy and Allison, see you two later_

Leaving the note on the table, Sarah got her coat and left the house, heading for Kacy's.

John lay on his side, awake but keeping his eyes closed. He still couldn't believe what had happened the night before. He confessed his love for Cameron and they spend the night together. He couldn't remember a time he was more happy. Sensing he was being watched, he opened his eyes, meeting the glare of Chocolate brown eyes. "Hey, how long you been watching me?". "About twenty minutes, I like watching you sleep, you look different when you do". "Good different of bad different?". " Good different, your not as tense or worried when you sleep, your calm and peaceful instead". Laughing softly, she learnt forward and kissed him.

The slamming of the front door broke the kiss. Both sitting up, John reached for the floor, finding his underwear and putting them on. Going to the window, he saw his mother leaving the house, heading down the road, walking slowly with a limp. "It's mom, she's heading towards Kacy's I think". Cameron got out of bed and joined him next to the window, holding the blanket around her body. "Kacy must be back from the hospital with Allison, can we go see them later, I want to see Allison again?". "Yeah, I'm going in the shower first then we can go". Kissing him on the cheek, Cameron walked around the room, picking up her discarded clothes. She then left the room for her own, taking the blanket with her. John, picking up some fresh clothes, left his room also and headed for the bathroom.

Cameron went in the shower after John had finished, leaving John to wait almost an hour for her to get ready. Finding Sarah's note, he spend most of the hour again looking on the internet at the Zeira corporation. The corporation had been in the news lately, someone died in the building. John was shocked when it said the person who died was doctor Boyd Sherman. Reading through the report, John felt uneasy reading about how the AI under development there cut the power to the room Boyd Sherman to keep itself running. Once Cameron eventually came downstairs, John found it hard to keep his eyes off her. Her skin seemed to shine with the light, making her a hundred times more beautiful then she already was. Both stepping out in to the sun, Cameron automatically observed her surroundings, not seeing any threat to John. While looking around, Cameron removed her hud view from her eyes, allowing her to see things as a human would. Taking John's hand in to her own, they walked towards Kacy's house.

When walking, Cameron looked around at her surroundings, at the birds and trees. Everything looked different without her hud view. It was like she was seeing everything for the first time again. John noticed she seemed fascinated by everything she was seeing and so let her carry on looking around. Arriving at Kacy's, John let go of Cameron's hand. Noticing her confused look, he quickly said, "We need to keep up appearances". Nodding in agreement as they are supposed to pretend they are brother and sister. John knocked quietly on the door. Not getting an answer, Cameron walked to the window and looked inside. Kacy spotted her looking in, and waved at her to come in to the house. Opening the door, Cameron and John headed inside. Kacy, instantly threw her arms around Cameron. "Cameron, thanks so much for yesterday".

Cameron looked over Kacy to Sarah, who was sitting on the couch, holding baby Allison in her arms. "Your welcome". Kacy beckoned them both in to the room, everyone crowding around Sarah, holding Allison. John spoke in a whisper, "Did everything turn out okay at the hospital?". "Yeah, she's healthy and everything, I still can't believe she's here finally". They all took turns in holding Allison, she only woke up once when Cameron was holding her. For a moment, John thought Allison could tell Cameron wasn't human.

Sarah and Kacy retreated to the kitchen, Kacy asking for tips on looking after Allison as Sarah had looked after John alone for years. Cameron sat on the couch next to John, holding Allison again in her arms. "Why did you call her Allison?". Cameron knew exactly why, she wanted to make up for killing Allison Young in the future, she hated herself for doing it. She didn't want to tell John the reason why though, as she thought that if she told John what she did, he wouldn't love her anymore. "I just liked the name, always thought it as my second name if I couldn't use Cameron anymore". John smiled, raised his hand and ran it across Allison's forehead. "Why did you choose Cameron as a name then?". "I didn't, you gave it to me". Looking around to see if Kacy could see them which she couldn't , Cameron raised her free hand to the back of John's head, pulling him in to a kiss.

Cameron intended to just kiss him once but was taking in by the moment and now found herself unable to pull away from him. They would have been quite happy to stay and kiss each other all day, but a thud on the top of both their heads broke the kiss. Looking up, they could see Sarah looking down on then, an amused but concerned look on her face. "You two, behave yourselves, your supposed to pretend your related remember". She walked back in to the kitchen, John and Cameron found it hard to stop laughing. After a while of just watching baby Allison sleep, John and Cameron looked up when they saw someone watching them. "Say cheese". A flash of light blinded both of them temporarily. Their eyes focusing again, they could see Kacy standing in front, holding a digital camera in her hands. "You three look so cute together, I had to get that on camera". Allison began to cry, woken up by the flash from the camera. She handed the camera to John. "Here, can you get the pictures off this thing, I haven't got a clue how". "Yeah sure".

Baby Allison began to cry, woken up by the flash from the camera, Cameron looked around for help, not knowing what to do. John got up and headed for Kacy's computer in the corner of the room while Kacy took Allison from Cameron and Sarah showed her a good way on getting her back off to sleep. John hooked the camera to the computer and downloaded the pictures. Most of the pictures were of Kacy and Trevor at different places, out shopping or with family. Getting to the end, he found the picture of him and Cameron. It looked like he and Cameron were holding their own child, they did look good together in the picture. Kacy appeared behind him, looking at the picture. "She does look happier then she used to, I've never seen her smile before today". Printing off the pictures, Kacy handed John the picture of him and Cameron. "It was Cameron's birthday yesterday, give this to her from me". John's phone suddenly started the ring from his pocket. Taking the phone out, he saw Riley's name. "I'll be back in a minute". John walked out of the house and answered the phone.

"Riley, what do you want?". John wanted this conversation over as quickly as possible. "John, we need to talk, will you meet me?". "No, I've got things to do". "Look, please meet me, I know about Cameron, I know what she is and I know what's going to happen, I know about Judgement day". John was speechless, how the hell would Riley know about Cameron or Judgement day, it was impossible. "Where and when?". " I'll find you at the pier". She hung up. John put the phone back in to his pocket. He couldn't believe what Riley had said. Frowning and turning around, he walked straight in to Sarah. "Sorry, you alright?". "Yeah' I'm fine, who was on the phone". He decided to tell Sarah the truth, she didn't need anything else to worry about, not with the cancer. "Riley, she knows what Cameron is and about the future, I'm going to find out how". Sarah looked more shocked then he did. "Take a gun with you, keep your eyes open and always….". She stopped when seeing the I already know mom look on John's face. "Before you go, you and Cameron, just be careful okay, you both took a risk in there".

John forced himself to look serious, fighting off the smirk that was trying to form on his face. "Are you okay, about me and Cameron, please be honest". Sarah looked around, making sure they were alone. "I'm fine, seeing you two together these past few weeks, it been obvious what was going to happen and the look on her face when she saw your present, I think she fell in love with you all over again". "Thanks mom, I really appreciate that". "I better get back inside, if we're not careful, Cameron will probably kidnap Allison, she loves holding her". Turning and heading back to the house to get a gun, John couldn't even consider to think how his life will be with out his mother.

Arriving at the pier half an hour later, John didn't know if he wanted to hear what Riley had to say. Spotting her near the stalls they saw the last time they were here, he walked over towards her. When she spotted him, she appeared cheerful as if nothing bad had happened between them. "Hey, how are you?". Her cheerful smile disappeared slowly when seeing John's face. "You wanted to talk so talk". She looked disappointed, as if she were expecting this to be another date. "Okay, your uncles waiting for you, come on". John followed her as they left the pier, John kept a firm grip on his gun. They walked in to an apartment block not far for the pier. Standing outside on of the doors, Riley knocked three times. Opening the door, They were confronted by a dark haired woman John hadn't seen before. "The famous John Connor, well the younger one, glad to meet you at last, I'm Jessie". She held her hand out to John, who didn't take it. "Okay, you two better come in then". Riley went straight in, John hesitated before following. Derek was there, leaning against the wall.

"Hey John, how you been?". John didn't reply at first, he just looked at the faces of the three other people in the room, Riley, Derek and who ever this Jessie woman was. "You wanted me here to talk so talk, I cant be long". Derek moved himself next to Jessie. "Its about the machine". "The machine as in Cameron, use her name Derek". Derek went red in the face again, as if saying her name was insulting. Jessie spoke next. "She, it shouldn't have a name". Riley took this moment to stand next to John, she reached out for his hand trying to hold it, John shrugging her off, walked away from her, leaving her looking hurt. "John, we came back to stop her". John turned on the spot, what did she mean she came back. "You come from the future?". She nodded her head. John looked over to Jessie. "I guess you are to?". She nodded also. "So why did I send you back?". All three of them gave each other nervous glances. "John, you didn't send them back, its kind of complicated". Looking at Derek, John wanted nothing more then to punch him for what he did to Cameron at the lake. "Uncomplicate it then".

Derek looked over to Jessie and back to John. "I only found out about Riley yesterday and what they are doing here so they can tell you. Derek took a sat on the couch, followed by Riley. John waited for someone to talk, which Jessie did. "The machine living with you, Cameron or what ever its called, she's taken over, its sick what she's doing, you were supposed to be leading us and you only talked with her, you've cut off everyone else, no one trusts you anymore". John looked away from her to Riley and Derek. If what they say is true, why did he send Cameron back?. "If Cameron had taken over, which I don't believe for a second, why did I send her back to protect me". He looked at Riley when he said this, making her reply to the question. "There was a group of us, a large group, we tried to convince you to get rid if her, you refused so we tried to remove her ourselves, she fought back, killed seven. You sent her back to keep her safe". "Not safe, to hide her from us". Jessie came back in to the conversation. "She made all the decisions for you and now she's living with you, what do you think will happen if you spend twenty years with her, I doubt you would even bother forming the resistance, she would hand you over to Skynet".

John took out the gun and aimed at her head. Derek stood up quickly. "See what I mean Derek, he's not John Connor". "I'm not listening to this shit". John lowered his gun and walked towards the door. "John, she killed her". John hand reached for the door before he stopped. He turned and looked at Riley, who had spoken. "Killed who". Riley looked to Derek, and nodded in John's direction, wanting him to talk. Derek frowned and looked towards John. "There was this girl, she was in one of the outer bunkers, bunker got attacked, everyone was killed, she was captured. Weeks later, she turns up at your camp. Except its not her, its Cameron. Cameron kept her locked up, learnt everything about her, then made herself look like her, then killed her". John felt a little sick at hearing this, not sick at Cameron, but sick at the fact that they thought this would work. "You think making up that kind of story will change anything?". "Its not made up, Allison Young was killed by that machine so she could get close to you, then she started taking over, think about it".

Thinking about, they did make some kind of sense, Cameron getting close to him to control things for Skynet's benefit but he didn't want to believe it, he couldn't believe it, he loved her. He opened the door. "What you going to do John?". H turned and faced Derek. He didn't have any intension of going home and yelling at Cameron for answers. "John, we told you what she did, if she isn't gone by tomorrow, we are going to destroy her". "You touch her, I'll kill you". Jessie and Riley stood either side of Derek. "Why is she so important to you, she's a fucking machine John". "She's important to me because I love her, and nothing you say, nothings she's ever done will change that". John had to duck as Derek threw a punch at him, John, took hold of his gun, rose the gun up as fast as he could, hitting Derek on the side of the head, knocking him out cold. He turned to look at Jessie and Riley, shocked looks on there faces. "What about me John, we have something between us". "No, we never did, never will, I love Cameron". He backed out of the apartment. Jessie stepped out also. "It still stands Connor, if she's not gone by tomorrow, we will get rid of her. I personally don't care if you or your mother gets in the way, either way, she will die".

John left with out another word. He got outside and headed towards the alley where he parked the car. "John, wait". He turned and was faced with Riley again. "How can you choose her over us?". "I already told you, I love her". "She's a machine, she was build to kill us and you love her". "Pretty much, yeah". Riley made to walk away before turning around again. "I used to catch rats to eat for a living, i was brought back to get you away from her, I love you John, how can you choose a machine over me, I have a heart, I feel, she doesn't". "You don't know how wrong you are about her". He got in to the car and started it up. "John, please, don't go yet, jut come back and we can talk". "I've got nothing left to say to you, Derek or Jessie, just leave me and Cameron alone". He took off, leaving Riley in the ally alone. John didn't head straight home, he drove in circles for about half an hour before stopping down the road from the house. He sat there as the day gradually became night, thinking of what he had been told earlier. He came up with hundreds of theories on how and why Cameron could control the resistance to Skynet's benefit. Every theory he came up with, h ended with the same conclusion. That conclusion was that he loved Cameron.

Riving the car to the house, he looked to his watch, it was nearly eleven at night. Shocked that he spend hours in the car, he got out and headed for the house. Opening the door, he stepped inside. On the couch, moving uncontrollably was Sarah, her face quenched in pain. "Mom, are you alright?". He knelt next to the couch, holding Sarah down on the couch, stopping her moving. "Hey, you've been gone hours". "Yeah sorry, what's wrong". Sarah had sweat dripping off her face as she moaned in pain again. "The tumours have grown, I wont last to the end of the week". John's heart skipped a beat. "We need to get you to the hospital". "No, they ask questions and things get complicated". John opened his mouth to argue but Sarah held her hand up to stop him. "What did Riley want?". All John could think about was his mothers pain, he had never seen her like this before, never like this. He told her exactly what Riley, Derek and Jessie had told him. Once he finished, he waited for Sarah to reply. "What do you think of her now". "I still love her, I don't care what she's done, I'll ask her about it tomorrow. I don't care what she tells me, I'll always love her". Sarah gave a quick smile before moaning in pain again. "Can't Cameron make that stuff again".

"No, the tumours are too big now". John could free tears forming in his eyes. "What can I do mom, I can't stop Skynet without you". Sarah raised both her hands, placing them on the side of John's head. "Yes you can, its what I've been getting you ready for". Sarah's grip on him lessened, her hands fell from him as she passed out from the pain. Checking to make sure she was comfortable and her pulse was okay, he headed upstairs. He hated the idea of leaving his mother on the couch in her state but he needed to hear Cameron's side of the story. He knocked on her bedroom door. She didn't respond so he opened the door and peered inside. Cameron wasn't there. Closing the door, he headed to his room and opened the door. He could see the outline of a sleeping Cameron under his blanket. Closing his door, he walked over to his bed, stepping over Cameron's discarded clothes, looked at her face, so peaceful as she slept. Not wanting to wake her, he got himself undressed and got in to bed next to her. Leaning forward, he kissed her on the forehead before closing his eyes.

After only a few seconds, John felt Cameron pressing her lips against his. He retuned the kiss, bring his hand to her head, stroking some of her hair "Hey, where were you, you were gone for hours". "Sorry, I lost track of time, I thought you were asleep". "I was, then you kissed me, where were you?, I missed you". John smiled, he found it weird that Cameron would miss him. "I was with Riley". Cameron's face expression changed rapidly to disgust. "What did she want?". John had to fight to stop himself laughing at Cameron's jealousy. "She told me some things, her and Derek". Cameron's expression changed again, from disgust of Riley to nerves of Derek. John told her what they had said, everything about her taking over and of Allison Young. When he finished, John could see the fear in Cameron's eyes, a fear that Cameron looked like John was going to kill her. "I want you to know that I don't care what they said, true or not, I still love you, but I want to know, is it true?". Tears fell across her face on to her pillow, John raised his hand and wiped them away.

"About Allison Young, yes, about me taking over, no". John regretted asking her about the future, he didn't like her seeing Cameron this upset. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to get upset". Cameron didn't move at first, but she gradually moved herself closer to John, she pushed him on to his back before resting her arm across his chest again. "I was an experiment model, Skynet tried over and over to kill you but you could always tell who was a machine and who wasn't, so Skynet build me. Allison Young was captured and brought to me. I learnt everything I could from her. Skynet made my skin and hair to look like her". Cameron ran her fingers through her hair when saying this. "I found out she lied to me, she didn't tell me about her bracelet, the bracelet that allowed access to your camp, I killed her and took it".

More tears began to fall from her eyes, John again raised his hand, wiping away her tears. "When I left, I don't know what happened to me, I regretted killing her, I couldn't understand why at the time, but now I know it was guilt. I got to your camp. I got right next to you. I had a gun to your head. Everyone went quiet, they thought I was Allison Young. Bit you already knew what I was, you didn't move. You just looked at me, I said I was going to kill you. You told me to do it, to kill you. But I couldn't, I cried and you held me, told me you would help me". John listened to her words, knowing every one of them to be the truth. "I let you take my chip, so you could fix me, but you didn't need to fix me, you didn't even reprogram me, you isolated my Skynet settings so they wouldn't come back". John held Cameron tighter, reassuring her that he believed her.

"But the car bomb, that let Skynet's settings out again". "Yes, when I was between the trucks, I wasn't lying when I told you I loved you, I panicked because you were going to kill me, I was able to overpower Skynet temporally, I told you the truth, that I loved you, but you took out my chip. Then you put it back and gave me the gun, Skynet wanted me to kill you, but I didn't want to, Skynet couldn't control me anymore, I deleted it from my chip". She turned herself to face John, her brown eyes meeting his green. "I killed Allison Young, I hate myself for doing it, please don't hate me". "I don't hate you, I cant hate you, I love you, that wont change". He couldn't hate her, he knew what she meant to him no matter what she did, he loved her.

"Did some people want you dead, in the future?". "Yes, everyone who was close to Allison Young wanted me gone, others didn't like you reprogramming machines to fight for you. You placed a machine in one of the outer bunkers, some people there tried to get rid of it, it fought back, wiped out half the bunker before they could kill it. You tried to stop them but they tried to kill me, you sent me back to keep me safe from them". Staring in to her brown eyes, he knew she was again telling the truth. Leaning forwards, he pressed his lips against hers, bringing a moan of approval from her. John didn't want to question her anymore on the future, the future hasn't been written yet, he and Cameron could change it, even if Judgement day couldn't be stopped, they could change things, maybe even save Allison Young. But at this moment in time, he wanted to be with the woman he loved more then anything, and that was Cameron.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

John and Cameron woke the next morning, arms wrapped around each other in a loving embrace. Getting up early to see to Sarah, they were shocked to see her in the state she was in. Unable to sleep due to the pain from her tumours, she had shaken so much through out the night, the couch had collapsed due to the violent movements of her body. Cameron, with all her strength, was struggling to hold Sarah down as John tried to get her to drink some of the pain fluid Cameron quickly prepared. Though it was doubtful it would work as well as before, it was they last chance at reliving some of the pain. Finding it futile to get Sarah to drink the fluid, John could only think of one alternative, "Cameron, knock her out". Looking backwards and forwards from Sarah to John, Cameron raised her hand in to a fist before hitting Sarah in the face, knocking her out cold. Her body was still shaking, but not as mush as before. Sitting Sarah up against the destroyed couch, the forced the fluid down her throat. Cameron scanned her though her forehead. She sighed in frustration. "The pain levels down slightly but it wont be for long". John stood up, holding his hands on his head, breathing in deeply.

"How long is she going to suffer like this?". Cameron scanned her again, her face dropping in to sadness. "A few hours, maybe till tonight, she wont last to tomorrow". John broke down, tears flooding his eyes, he was glad his mother didn't have much longer to suffer, but the prospect of loosing his mother, who has always been there for him, just wasn't something he could take in. Cameron, returning the favour from the night before, wiped away his tears with her fingers. "It will be okay John". John knew it wouldn't be okay, his mother was dying but he knew it, like Judgement day, would happen, one way or another. "Lets get her upstairs, she'll be more comfortable". Cameron nodded, bending down, she picked Sarah up, holding her over her shoulder and headed upstairs. John followed moments later, holding a glass of cold water and some painkillers. He knew they wouldn't work for her, but it was better then nothing. Cameron placed Sarah on her bed, wrapping her in her blanket. Sarah woke up with a jolt, sitting up straight. She quickly fell back down, clenching her teeth in pain. "Good punch". Both John and Cameron smiled, she still had her sense of humour. Sarah looked from John to Cameron before focusing on John.

"Did you ask her, about the future and about Allison?". Cameron looked at John, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, everything's fine, nothings changed". Sarah was able to give a small smile herself at John's words. "Good". She now looked to Cameron. "Don't bullshit me, how long have I got now?". Cameron's head dropped, not wanting to say a word. "Just today, I don't think you will make it to tomorrow". Sarah looked away from her, focusing on the ceiling. "Mom, we need to talk now, about Derek and something I found". Sarah turned her head painfully towards John. "Yesterday, Derek said that if Cameron wasn't gone by today, then he would come and kill her, him his girlfriend and Riley". Cameron looked shocked, John having not told her about this last night. Sarah, though in pain, thought on what to do. "You have three choices, you can get rid of Cameron, you two can make a run for it or you can stay and see what happens". Both Cameron and John said, "Stay", at the same time, Sarah shook her head in disapproval.

"I would have said run but I'm not going to bother trying to convince you two, anyways, what did you find?". John sat on the bed next to Sarah, Cameron stood next to John, her hand resting on his shoulder. "Zeira corporation, they have an AI, there was a power failure. The AI took all the power from the building to keep itself running. It locked Boyd Sherman in one of the rooms, he died, they say it was an accident due to the power failure but something doesn't seem right about it, it could be Skynet". Cameron, listening in instantly said, "We have to check it out". Sarah nodded her head. "Yes, you two go and have a look, be careful". John instantly rejected what she said. "Mom, your dying, I'm not leaving you alone, not like this". "Yes, you are, this is more important then me, If this is Skynet, then this is your chance to stop it".

Opening his mouth to argue, Sarah looked to Cameron for support, but not getting it. "I think we should stay, John's right, we cant leave you like this". "Now your starting to sound like him, I'm ordering both of you to go and check it out, no arguments". John stood up, finally accepting her order. "We'll be back as soon as we can okay, if you die before then, I'll kill you". He then left the room. Cameron made to go after him but Sarah grabbed her hand, stopping her. Cameron took the chance to scan her again, Sarah's chances of lasting till she and John got back were low. "Cameron, look after him, okay, promise me you will". Cameron sat down on the bed. "I promise". Sarah let go of Cameron's hand. "I love you like a daughter, have for a long time now". Cameron smiled and stood up. "Thank you". Turning away from Sarah, Cameron, left the room, not looking back once, a single tear falling down her cheek, for she knew it was highly unlikely see would see her alive again.

John and Cameron got in to the car five minutes later and headed in the direction of down town LA. John, still feeling guilty for leaving his mother home alone, was reminded by Cameron on more then one occasion to keep his eyes on the road. It took a while to get to the Zeira corporation building, their had been over a dozen car accidents on the main roads, forcing them to take detours in the wrong direction to get moving again. They eventually gave up driving there. Finding a parking lot nearby, they left the car and set off on foot. Nether said a word for a while, John worried for his mother, while Cameron was worried at Derek's impending attack on her. The last time he attacked her, she discovered she was scared of the water, of drowning, until John helped her overcome it. "Did Derek really say he was going to kill me?".

John was thankful she spoke, glad to keep his mind off his dying mother. "All three of them did, more or less, Derek, Jessie and Riley". Cameron smirked at hearing Riley's name, John noticed. "What's so funny". "Nothing, I'd just like to see Riley hold a gun the right way, let alone see her try and hurt me". John began to laugh, unable to control himself due to Cameron's prideful sense of humour towards Riley. When he was eventually able to talk again, they were outside the Zeira corporation building. "She told me she caught rats in the future". It was Cameron's turn to laugh. Once she was able to calm down enough to talk, she turned to John. "Riley the rat catcher, that has a ring to it". Smirking, they both entered the building. "Okay, we need to find a computer somewhere so I can hack in".

Looking around, all they could see were a few employees, talking to one another and some security guards sitting behind the security desk, mentoring the camera's. "We should find a way upstairs". Following her advice, John headed for the elevators. Their was a guard standing outside, watching as they approached. John heard Cameron mutter, "Stairs", John walked past the guard, avoiding his gaze, though the door at the end for the stairs. Reaching the next floor, they found themselves stuck on the stairs as the door needed a key card to open. "Can you just force it open?". "I could, but I'd set the alarms off". "Okay, we'll try about half way up then I'll try and hack one open". Cameron looked up through the gap in the middle of the stairs, it was over twenty floors to be about halfway up. She joked, "We should have knocked out the guard", before making her way up.

Reaching the twenty first floor, John was out of breath, the smile on Cameron's face told him that they should have knocked out the guard. Reaching in to his bag, he took out the old mini computer he used to use when he was younger to steal money from cash machines. Hooking it up to the card reader and set to work unlocking it. "I've seen that before, you still have it in the future". "Really?". "Yes, you gave it to Elizabeth Anderson, to use the time displacement equipment". "I used to use this to steal money to play games, how can it allow time travel?". "You haven't upgraded it yet". John smiled, his mother stole this for a birthday present for him, he was glad to know he would still have it in years time, even if it was a little outdated. He managed to get the door open eventually, surprising both of them for getting it open so quickly. Stepping through the door, they walked slowly through the corridors, checking around every corner they came to, looking for an empty office. They found one, conveniently at the furthest possible distance away from the stairs and elevators, meaning a quick escape wasn't possible. John set to work on accessing the only computer in the room, while Cameron watched the door.

John had a hell of a time getting in to the system, having to bypass three passwords. Unable to guess due to the alarms going off it one password is typed in incorrectly three times, he was forced t go completely around them, having to bypass firewalls in the process. "With this much protection on one computer, this lot have something to hide". Cameron, not seeing any movement in the corridor, moved and stood behind John, watching from over his shoulder. Eventually getting passed the passwords, John was free to access the files with out trouble. One of the files was a list of Zeira corporation's coltan stockpile locations. Reading through the file, they found out that the corporation had stored its coltan in five major US cities and in many other cities across Europe. Cameron noted that every location on the list, was a Skynet factory in the future. John removed his laptop and hooked it up to the computer and began copying files over to look at later. While John was doing this, Cameron noticed a picture on the wall. She didn't take much notice at first until she recognised the woman in the picture. Cameron had seen her once before, in her dream, the red hared woman who laughed as she cradled a dead John on the floor before revealing herself as a T1001.

She scanned to woman in the picture closely, eventually revealing to her that she indeed was a T1001. Cameron stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. She had only seen this person, the T1001 in a dream, she had never seen her anywhere else before, how did she see her in the dream?. "John, we have a problem". John stopped what he was doing and came over. "What?". "The woman in the picture, she runs Zeira corporation, she a T1001". John looked to the picture on the wall also, shock in his face, memories flooding back to him about his last encounter with a T1000. How it killed his foster parents, how it could mimic anything it touches and how hard it was to destroy. "Not again!". "You told me you fought a T1000 when you were younger, how did you destroy it?". "We threw it in to a vat of molten steel". Cameron looked at John, an amused look on her face, thinking he was joking. John noticed her amused look. "Trust me, it wasn't easy, it was a close run thing". Cameron smiled but quickly looked back at the picture.

" I don't suppose you have another vat of molten steel handy then?". "No, I'm guessing you couldn't fight it then". " No, I wouldn't want to, she would kill me". Cameron smiled briefly at herself, she had said kill me instead of destroy me, she was becoming more human and less machine. "We need to hurry, we don't really stand a chance if she finds us". John moved quickly back to the computer, copying everything he could as quickly as he could. Cameron went back to the door, the hairs on her neck sticking up. She could feel her heart beat pick up, he breaching got faster. She was nervous again, not because she was faced with the prospect of fighting a T1001, which she knew she would not win, it was that she had seen her before this, in her nightmare.

Copying the files over, he didn't take mush notice on the names of the files, until one caught his eye, John Henry. Why would one file be devoted to an employee. Opening the file, John almost had a heart attack. He was looking through a camera, somewhere in the building. Sitting in a room, surrounded by computer equipment, was agent James Ellison and Cromartie. "Cameron!". She came over and a look of equal shock appeared on her face. "Didn't I blow half his face off?". They couldn't hear what the two were saying but they seemed to be enjoying a game of chess together. Cameron pointed to one of the computer components near where Cromartie was sitting. "It's the Turk, its using Cromartie's body to interact with Ellison". They watched as Ellison was soundly beat by Cromartie, and they rearranged the board to start a new game. "What's Ellison doing there?, he helped us kill Cromartie, now he's playing chess with the Turk". They watched as the red hared woman entered the room, talking to both Ellison and Cromartie. Cameron tilted her head to the side. "John Henry must be his new name, Sarah destroyed Cromartie's chip. Cromartie's dead". Ellison left the room, leaving the woman and John Henry alone.

Not hearing what they were saying to each other, John and Cameron almost jumped in shock when both of them suddenly looked towards the camera they were watching them through. The woman stood up, staring at the camera before leaving the room quickly. "We need to go, now!". John copied the last files over to his laptop before unplugging it and putting it in to his bag. They both ran out of the door and down the corridor. Cameron led the way through the maze of corridors, John not remembering the way they came through. Even Cameron ended up running in to a few dead ends, getting curios looks from the employees as they ran. Eventually getting back to the stairs, they began to run down. "Stop". Cameron held her arm out towards John, making his stop. Listening, they could hear the sounds of footsteps from below them. Looking over the edge, they could see a hand on the railing heading upwards towards them. The footsteps stopped, the red woman, the T1001 held her head out, looking up towards the two. "There you are, now what are you two doing here?". Cameron and John ran as fast as they could back up the stairs. They could hear the sounds of the T1001s footsteps behind them, running to catch them up. As they headed straight up, the footsteps were getting louder and louder, telling them that she was catching them up. John was thinking of nothing but keep going up, to just keep going. They then hit the top, the door again needed a key card. Looking back over the edge, they could see the T1001 was only three floors below them. "Cameron, kick to door now".

Cameron, positioned herself in front of the door, kicked it as hard as she could. The door didn't budge. She kicked it again and again and again. The door began to buckle under the strain. "Cameron, hurry!". The T1001 was so close, almost at spiting distance. Cameron, panic in her face as she could hear the footsteps get even closer, put all her might in to the next kick, the door breaking in half. The T1001 reached them as they climbed through the gap in the door. Her arm turning to silver, she aimed it at Cameron, who was closer to her, and it extended towards her. John threw himself on to Cameron, sending them both to the floor, missing her by an inch. Getting up quickly, they ran through more corridors, looking for another exit. Both John and Cameron hoped they didn't hit a dead end, if they did, it was over. John led the way, taking a left turn, then a right, then another left. Cameron, right behind John, looked behind her, seeing the smiling face of the machine chasing them. Cameron hated her smiling face, it scared her. John eventually found his way to the other side of the building and a second staircase. John knew he needed a miracle, the door needed a key card, they didn't have enough time to kick it down again.

Chance was on their side, an employee walked through the door, a packet of cigarettes and a lighter in his hand. John pushed his way past the man, sending him in to a wall. Once through the door, Cameron closed the door behind her. The man John pushed against the wall had blood on his face. Other employers had heard the commotion they had made. The T1001 couldn't pursue them, as doing so would expose what she was to the employees. The machine knelt down next to the wounded man, putting on an act of concern for him as the employees crowded around him. Not waiting to see what happens next, John and Cameron ran down the stairs as fast as they could.

They drew looks from onlookers as they ran across the lobby and out of the building. The security guards, under the assumption that they were running because they stole something, tires to stop them. Cameron pushed two of the guards off their feet as she ran. They disappeared in to the crowded streets, not stopping till they reached the parking lot where they parked the car. Reaching the car, John dropped his bag on the roof of the car. His hands on the side on the car as he learnt forwards, holding himself up as he gasped for air. Cameron was in a similar state, she fell to the ground, turning herself so her back was against the car. Her eyes fixed on the parking lot entrance, expecting the T1001 to appear any second but as the seconds became minutes, Cameron knew they had lost her.

John, unable to stand, took sat on the ground next to Cameron. Her eyes still fixed on the entrance, she rested her head against his shoulder. Remembering the chase, she recalled John forcing her to the floor, the T1001 missing her. If John hadn't have done that, the T1001 would have taken her head off, more or less killing her. "You saved my life, thank you". John ahead to think on what she meant before remembering himself. "I love you too much to let anything happen to you". Smiling, Cameron turned and kissed him on the cheek. "Lets get out of here". John got himself up, followed by Cameron. Taking the bag off the roof of the car, they got in and drove in the direction of home. They made sure they went being followed as they drove, John purposely drove through alleys and in the wrong direction for a while. Convinced that they weren't being followed, John turned the car in the direction of home. Though convinced that they weren't being followed, Cameron kept an eye out on their surroundings, for any sign of anything out of the ordinary.

At the same time, she recalled their discovery, they had found the Turk, missing for so long, they had finally found it. But the T1001 was defending it, and was letting it use Cromartie's body for use. From what Cameron could tell, the Turk had grown from a simply chess program. It no longer just played chess, it had formed a sort of friendship with James Ellison. It also knew it was being watched through the camera. Cameron noted a similarity between the Turk and Skynet, they both knew when they were being watched by outside forces. Pulling up to the house over an hour after setting off back home, Cameron looked around behind them, thankful that no one was there. Getting out, they headed back to the house.

Setting his bag back on to the table, they both stopped dead, hearing sounds from upstairs. Remembering Sarah, they both ran up, Cameron in the lead. Heading in to Sarah's room, they found her shaking in pain, blood on her pillow. Sitting down either side of her, They held her down, trying to stop her shaking, she opened her eyes, seeing them both back. "Back already?, find anything?". She coughed up blood as she spoke, Cameron wiped the blood from her face with her jacket. "Sarah, we found a lot but that's not important, you need to slow you breathing down now". Sarah clenched her teeth, almost screaming out in pain. More blood came out of her mouth, covering Cameron's chest with it. Cameron scanned Sarah through her hands, looked at John, shaking her head. John held his mothers hand, her grip tightening painfully on his hand, who didn't care in the slightest.

Sarah fixed her eyes on John, who couldn't recognise them as her own, the green and while of her eyes replaced by a dark red, completely bloodshot. Cameron, using the glass of water on the bedside table, threw it over Sarah's face, wiping away the blood. Sarah opened her mouth again, trying to say something. "Mom, don't speak". Sarah's grip tightened on his hand. Through the blood and the pain, she was only able to say two words, "No fate". Her breathing gradually slowing down, Sarah's shaking became more erratic before she stopped moving altogether . Sarah's eyes dropped away from John, her breathing slowed, getting weaker with every breath, until she breathed no more, her grip on John's hand lessening till it dropped to the bed. John and Cameron, watched as Sarah became still, dying on the bed before them.

John and Cameron sat still, unable to accept what had just happened. John still held his hand in the air, where Sarah's hand had left it. They sat in silence, unable to say a word. Cameron had seen death before, in the future, she had seen hundreds of people killed in battle against the machines, but seeing someone she cared about die before her, this was different, Cameron felt like she had lost something important to her forever, unable to regain it ever again. John, stated in to Sarah eyes, which were still open. The green eyes that had been so full of life, protecting him from any threat since the day he was born, were now empty.

Using his hand, he reached out and closed Sarah's eyes. Cameron watched as John stood up and stood with his back against the wall, he gradually fell to the floor, breaking down in to tears. Her hands still on Sarah's shoulders, holding her down, she let go of her getting up herself and sitting next to John. She wrapped her arms around him and he gradually rested his head on her. Tears also fell from Cameron's eyes, but she wasn't feeling the same pain as John was, she never had a mother, but Sarah was as close a mother to her then anyone else could have been. John, tried to hold back his tears, to keep some sort of control, but every time he tries, he broke down again, worse then before. He was glad Cameron was there with him, he didn't know what he would do now with out her there holding him.

Eventually, he was able to calm down enough to be able to talk again. "She always said she wanted to be cremated, we'll give that to her". Cameron nodded in agreement, John had told her this before, in the future when they talked. Cameron stood up and held her hand out to John, who without hesitation took her hand and was pulled to his feet. Moving to look at his mother, he wiped what blood was left on her face away. He turned to Cameron, only then realising that she was also covered in Sarah's blood. "We better get cleaned up before we do anything". Cameron looked at her chest and hands, seeing the blood before nodding.

They left the room and John closed the door behind them. Heading for the bathroom, they took turns to use the sink and wash the blood away. Cameron left John to it to change her jacket and t-shirt, which had dried blood in them. Getting changed, informed John she was taking her clothes to the washing machine downstairs. John nodded and she disappeared with a small smile downstairs. John cleaned himself up, before standing in the corridor, looking at Sarah's bedroom door. Anger boiled with John, he knew who was to blame for this, it wasn't cancer that killed his mother, it was Skynet. John quickly decided that he and Cameron would go back to Zeira corporation, they would destroy the Turk and find a way to destroy the T1001. If the Turk, this new AI, was destined to become Skynet, then this was their chance to destroy it.

John then only noticed that there was a lot more movement coming from downstairs then there should be. Listening hard, he heard the front door close, somebody closing it from the inside. He could hear multiple footsteps, all trying to be quiet. John, taking his pistol from the back of his jeans, headed downstairs slowly. If this was the T1001, then he was basically walking in to a death-trap, but Cameron was down there and he wasn't going to loose her. Getting to the bottom of the stairs, he found Cameron standing with her back against the wall. Derek and Jessie were standing in front of her, aiming shotguns to her head. Riley stood behind them, holding a pistol. They all looked as John came in to view, aiming his gun towards his uncle.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Looking around the room, John could tell he and Cameron were at a disadvantage. Even though Cameron could kill all three with her bare hands with ease, she was unarmed and had two shotguns aimed towards her head. Looking at the shotguns, they looked like they had been modified to hold larger and more powerful shotgun shells. One wrong more and Cameron would be gone. Cameron herself, knew that the rounds in the shotguns were the same she used to destroy Cromartie back in Mexico. She also knew that at this range, it would take only one shot from Derek and Jessie to kill her. She stayed absolutely still, he eyes fixed on the shotguns before her.

"Who's is the blood?". Derek had spotted Cameron's Jacket and t-shirt in her hands, covered in Sarah's blood. Cameron didn't answer, afraid that the wrong word would lead to her death with in a second. Jessie took her shotgun and hot Cameron over the head with it, leaving a large cut above her eye. "He asked you a question, now answer it". Cameron smiled slightly before responding. "I don't take orders from traitors like you three, your as bad as the greys". Jessie again raised her gun again to hit Cameron, but was stopped when John fired at fired a shot in to the floor at her feet.

Derek turned on John, who could clearly see a large cut on the side of his head from where John hit him the day before. "You take one more shot at her and I'll…". "Save it Derek, any of you so much as touch her again, I'll kill you". Derek, already red in the face advanced on John, pressing the gun to his face. "JOHN!", Cameron called out, seeing the person she loved with a gun to his face, something she should be in a position to stop happening, scared her more then the shotgun in her face. "Go on, take the shot Derek, wipe out your only chance at surviving, with out me, we all loose, we all die, that's what you've been telling me since we met, prove your point and pull the trigger, go on". Derek stood frozen, his finger on the trigger, ready to take the shot. He slowly backed off away from John.

"I know you have to live John, we all die for you, but we came to get rid of this metal bitch, we wont let hr take over, we wont let her kill hundreds of fighters through you". Derek turned, aimed his shotgun at Cameron and fired. Seeing it coming, Cameron ducked, dodging the shot. John aimed his gun at Derek's leg, firing once. Derek fell to the floor, holding his hand over the wound and moaning in pain. At the same time, Jessie aimed low towards Cameron. Seeing her chance, Cameron turned herself quickly, sticking out her leg. She hit Jessie's lower legs, Taking her off her feet, Jessie's shot also missed, hitting just above where Derek's shot hit the wall. Jessie fell to the floor, Cameron stood up and put her foot on the shotgun, stopping Jessie picking it back up. Riley, who had watched from the sidelines as the situation had got out of control, took aim and fired all seventeen rounds at Cameron's chest.

As she ran out of ammo, Cameron just smirked at her as panic came over Riley, who backed herself against the wall. Cameron raised her foot off the shotgun before bringing it back down with full force, snapping the gun in half, rendering it useless. Leaving Jessie, she marched to Riley. Cameron wanted nothing more then too throw Riley out of the window. Deciding against it, she forcibly took Riley's gun from her as she tried to reload it. John moved forwards to take he shotgun from Derek. Before he could take it, he threw it towards Jessie, who was now sitting up. John could see in slow motion as Jessie primed the gun and aimed it at Cameron. Turning away from Riley, Cameron could see Jessie aiming the gun at her, she closed her eyes, waiting for the blast to hit her. A single gun shot raged through out the house.

Cameron waited for the blast to hit her, but nothing came. Opening her eyes, she saw Jessie lying on the floor, a bullet wound in the head. John felt numb, he had killed again. He hated the feeling of it, all the feelings of killing Sarkissian came flooding back to him the moment he pulled the trigger. He had sworn all his life never to kill another human, but he had now killed two, both to save the people he loved, his mother and now Cameron. Cameron, shocked on how close she had came to death, moved to John. She held her hand out and took hold of his arm, lowering it as he still aimed at Jessie. Riley stood at where Cameron left her, holding her hands over her mouth in horror at what had happened. Derek dragged himself over to Jessie's body, trying to shake her awake.

Cameron had been saved by John twice in one day now. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him tight, as if she were tanking him without words for saving her again. John kept his eyes on Derek, who was still holding a dead Jessie. Derek, anger and hate surging through him, took the shotgun form Jessie's hands. He turned quickly and fired at John, missing him by inches. John and Cameron ran up the stairs as fast as they could, Cameron using herself to shield John as they ran. Derek took shot after shot at them, missing every time. They disappeared at the top of the stairs, causing Derek to scream out at the top of his voice in frustration . Her dragged himself across the floor to the bottom of the stairs, leaving a trail of blood from his wounded leg behind him. He reloaded his shotgun, one shell at a time, getting more angry as he went on.

Running in to Sarah's room, Cameron checked John, making sure he hadn't been hit. "Cameron, I'm fine". She backed off, realising what she was doing. "Sorry". John proceeded to open the drawer under Sarah's bed and took out two pistols, throwing one to Cameron and keeping one for himself. Loading the guns , John went to the door, pressing his ear to it, he could here Derek slowly reloading his gun. Cameron, noticing Sarah's eyes had reopened, probably when Riley checked her earlier, closed them again with her fingers. Looking out of the window, she saw someone walking towards the house, switching quickly to her hud view, she scanned him and found he was a T triple eight. "John, we've got a problem". "I know, my uncle's sort of pissed off because I shot his girlfriend". Cameron shot him a quick look before turning back to the window. "Theirs a T triple eight in front of the house, no, theirs two".

A second person came in to view and took his place next to the first as they observed the house. John walked over to the window, thinking and hoping it was Cameron's idea of a bad joke. Seeing them their himself, he groaned in frustration on how far the day had got out of control. They had two problems now, two T triple eights and Derek. "John, you bastard, I don't care what happens, I'll kill you, you and that metal bitch". Derek, unable to walk on his leg, dragged himself up the stairs, one step at a time. The T triple eights outside the house heard him and began to advance on the house side by side. Cameron, without thinking, opened the window and jumped out with out another word. "Cameron!". She landed on top of the two T triple eights, sending them both to the floor. John could only watch for a few seconds before turning around to face Derek, who had now reached Sarah's room. John, didn't want to kill his uncle as he was his only family left charged at him, sending them both to the floor, dropping their guns.

Cameron, got up quickly, the T triple eight closest to her tried to get up also, but Cameron, kicked him in the face, sending him back to the ground. The second T triple eight, sitting up, took out a pistol and emptied it in to Cameron's back. Cameron tuning around as it reloaded the gun, grabbed the machine and threw it as hard as she could , in to the shed, disappearing through the wall of the shed. The other machine took his chance, standing up, he and Cameron engaged in a vicious hand on hand fight. Tearing large chucks of skin from each others faces. Cameron quickly realised that this fight was going the same way as her fight with the T triple eight in the woods that tried to kill the fields family.

If Cameron didn't back down, she would be rendered offline again. Cameron also knew that if she did back down, John would be in danger with more or less no chance to escape. Knowing the man she loved would die if she failed, she rose her arm up and drove it in to the T triple eights throat, tearing through its skin. Taking hold of its metal endoskeleton, Cameron proceeded to snap it in half. The T triple eight raised both its arms and grabbed Cameron, trying to throw her off him. A snapping sound was heard, followed by the shuddering of the machine before it fell to the ground. Power cut off from its CPU, the machine remained still on the ground.

Before she could do anything else, Cameron was thrown to the floor by the other T triple eight. The machine stood over her, placing its foot on her throat. Cameron didn't move, just looking up at the machine holding her in place. The machine looked at the remains of the other machine before looking back at Cameron. "Why have you here?, why is John Connor still alive?". Cameron tired to move the machine foot from her with no success. "You have been reprogrammed, you were designed to get close to John Connor and terminate him, you have failed your mission". Cameron knew that the machine expected her to shut down upon his words. Machines were programmed to shut down if their missions failed. Cameron smiled at the machine as its face showed its disappointment. "Your self aware, and you shall be terminated". It raised its foot, intending to smash Cameron's in two.

Cameron rolled out of the way, knocking the machine off its feet. Running for the house, the machine behind her, Cameron ran through the front door, she ran right through the house in to the kitchen. Taking out a knife from the drawer, she turned to face the machine, but was thrown through the wall, landing next to Jessie's body. The sounds of gunshots rang from upstairs. Before she could move, the T triple eight stood over her. The machine took the knife from her and stabbed her in the head, near her CPU port, cutting through her skin so he could get her ship out. Cameron, panicking, tired to get the machine off her, but try as she might, she couldn't kick or punch the machine off her. Her port was opened and her chip exposed. A grin came over the machines face as he took out Cameron's chip. "JOHN! HELP!". Her eyes went still as her chip was removed.

John, diving in to Derek throwing both of them against the wall. Derek being physically bigger then John, moved on top of him and repeatedly punched him in the face, breaking his nose. John could barely hear the gunshots though the pain in his nose. John, unable to move under Derek's weight, raised his hand and grabbed Derek's leg. Following the blood flow, he found Derek's wound and pressed his finger inside. Derek, screaming in pain, was distracted long enough for John to force Derek off him. Getting up, John dived for his gun. Derek managed to grabbed John's legs mid jump, before climbing over John, wrapping his arms around his neck. He began putting pressure on John's throat, who gasped for air. "You bastard, why did you kill her?, we came for the metal, just that fucking tin can, but you, you put a machine before us again, I'll kill you".

John's gasped for breath as Derek suffocated him. John could feel his heart pounding as his body demanded oxygen. A large sound came from downstairs, as if something or someone was tearing the place apart. The sound distracted Derek for a moment. John, using all his might, rose his head back as fast as he could, hitting Derek in the nose and breaking it in turn. Derek fell back in pain, allowing John to breath. Crawling forwards, he grabbed his pistol and turned. Without any thought, he aimed at Derek and fired four times hitting him in the chest. Derek didn't move at first, he was still, shocked at being shot. He gradually fell to his side and moved no more.

The pain of killing his uncle surged through John for only seconds until he heard, "JOHN! HELP!", from downstairs. Getting off the floor, he ignored the pain of his broken nose and stepped over Derek, dropping his pistol and taking Derek's shotgun. He charges as fast as he could downstairs, almost falling as he went. He found Cameron lying on the floor motionless, a large part of her skin was hanging off her head, exposing a gap with once housed her CPU. Standing over her, holding her chip in his hand, was the T triple eight that had overpowered her. Spotting John, he advanced on him but stopped the moment John raised the shotgun. John fired, hitting it between the eyes. He fired again and again and again at its head. The machine fell back on to the floor. Stepping forwards, John fired the last time in to the machine's head, before dropping the gun. John bend down and opened the machines hand, picking up Cameron's chip. Examining it, he sighed in relieve as the chip had no damage. John stepped over the machine, which was made easier that because it looked like it was never given a head when it was build after John's finished with it.

Sitting down, he rested Cameron's head on his lap while he tried to position her head so he could put her chip back. Right before he put the chip back, he noticed somebody watching him. Looking up, Riley was standing in the kitchen doorway, aiming her pistol at John. Tears were falling down her cheeks. "Look at what you've done, you killed her, why did you kill her?, you've turned against us, your no better then the machines". "It was either Jessie or Cameron, I chose Cameron". John edged Cameron's chip back in to place, he could see Cameron's eye twitch slightly, showing she was waking up again. "How can you choose her, you just can't, its us or her John, we've made that clear".

"And I've made myself clear, I choose her". Riley, now aiming at his head, took a step forward. "I love you John, we all do, but you've killed Jessie, you killed Derek, I've got nothing left". She pulled the trigger. Cameron, listening to their conversation with out moving, moved her arm to John's chest, forcing his back. The bullet missed him as he fell. Cameron stood up and marched towards Riley. Riley backed off, only stopping when she hit the door fame in to the kitchen. Cameron stopped right in front of her, Riley's gun pressing in to her chest. Cameron stared in to the eyes of her rival, the one person she had really wanted to kill. She wanted more and more as she stared to raising her hands and break Riley's neck. "Cameron, let her go, just leave her". John was back on his feet, wiping the blood from his face. Cameron slowly backed off away from her. "Just go before I change my mind". Leaving a shocked Riley by the door, Cameron turned and fell in to John's arms. "Your not fighting terminator's by yourself again". Cameron laughed softly in to his shoulder, holding John tighter. Watching the two together, Riley turned to her gun in her hand. "I hope you two are happy". She raised her gun to her head. "RILEY, NO!". Too late, Riley pulled the trigger and she fell to the floor, lying still next to Jessie.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Three in the mourning, John found himself in the woods near his home. Holding a shovel in his hands, he drove it in to the dirt, in to the last of three large holes he had dug. He had spend nearly three hours digging these holes, trying to hack his way through the roots of the trees that surrounded him. Lying next to the first hole he dug, were the bodies of Derek, Jessie and Riley. John and Cameron had decided to bury them in the woods before leaving the house, not wanting to leave them there. Also, John, despite killing his uncle, still cared for him as he was his family and thought burying him was the best thing to do for him. Driving the shovel in to the dirt again, he thought back on the worst day of his life. How could a day, after starting so well, turn in to such a nightmare. Waking up with his arms around Cameron was the best start John could have for a day. Then the trip to Zeira corporation almost got them killed. Getting back, he watched as his mother died and then was forced to fight for his life against his own uncle and two machines at the same time.

John also had to breath through his mouth, unable to breath through his nose through the pain. Derek having broke it earlier, John had to suffer the pain of Cameron pushing it back in to place. After helping John carry the bodies in to the woods, Cameron loaded the two T triple eights in to Derek's car with the last of their thermite and took off to find a suitable place to destroy the remains. They had attempted to remove their chips beforehand but John had already destroyed one of the chips after destroying the entire head of the machine that almost killed Cameron. The second chip was destroyed when attempting to remove it from its port, the self destruct feature John had not figured out how to overcome yet.

Finishing with his final hole, he threw the shovel aside. Looking at the three bodies, he hated to idea of burying them, but with out any options, he stepped over and picked up Riley. Carrying her to the furthest hole, he lowered her in slowly. Letting her go, he moved her hair out of her face. Reaching in to his pocket, he pulled out the silver lighter Riley had stolen from the party she called him to. He brought her hands together and placed the lighter in-between, thinking it a nice gesture as she liked shiny things. Stepping away, he picked up Jessie and lowered her in to the second hole. He didn't move her arms together, he just left her the way he put her in the hole. He had only met Jessie twice, the first time she threatened to kill Cameron, the second time he shot her to prevent her carrying out that threat.

Before dealing with Derek, John picked up the discarded shovel and filled Riley's and Jessie's graves with dirt. His hands began swelling with blisters as he worked. A cracking sound made John freeze on the spot. Listening, he could hear footsteps approaching him. Dropping his shovel, he moved quickly and quietly behind a large tree, taking out a pistol from the inside of his jacket. Peering out, he couldn't see anything through the darkness. All he could do was listen as the footsteps got closer. Out of the shadows, a figure emerged. The figure stopped before the graves, looking around. John, holding his breath, aimed for the figures head. "Diamonds are a girls best friend". John, breathing out in relieve, lowered his gun and stepped out from behind the tree. As he neared, Cameron's face became recognisable through the darkness. "Any problems?".

"No, I found some warehouses near the pier, there was no one around, the T triple eights are gone". She stepped over the graves as she spoke, standing in front of John. John could now clearly see her face, large cuts in her cheeks were visible. "Once we're done here, we need to patch you up". He raised his hands, interning to hold her cheeks, but Cameron stopped him, holding his hands in her own, examining them. "Your hands, their covered in blisters, you need to rest". "I'll rest once we're finished here and after I've patched you up". He turned and took Derek's arms and Cameron took his legs, together, the threw him in to the last grave. John stepped in, taking Derek's arms and put them together. "Bye Derek". He got out and reached for the shovel. Cameron had already taken it and was filling the grave. John watched as his uncle disappeared under dirt slowly but surely.

The walk back to the house was easy through the dark, Cameron having memorised the route through the trees. Stepping in to the house, They looked at the large hole in the wall from when Cameron was thrown through the wall. "I'll start packing, you better get those bullets out". Nodding, Cameron headed for the bathroom to remove the thirty or so bullets from her body. John headed for his room, took two large bags from under his bed and started packing his things. They couldn't stay in this house, the T triple eights turning up suddenly means staying would be inviting Skynet to kill him. John didn't even know where they would go, they had plenty of money, but going out in to the world without his mother was a large step, even for him. He did have one thing that would help him in the times ahead, and that was Cameron.

His clothes only filling up half of the first bag, John threw the spare guns in with them before zipping the bag up. He took the second bag in to his mothers room. Sarah's body still lay on the bed, seeing her lying there brought feelings of remorse to John, almost overwhelming him. Tying to keep focussed, he packed Sarah's things in to the second bag. They had to take her things with them, as leaving her things would seem suspicious, especially if all John's and Cameron's things were gone. Like John's, Sarah's clothes only took up half the bad space. Leaving the room, he headed downstairs with both bags.

Taking all the other guns from their hiding places, most of them just pistols, he put them in Sarah's bag before heading out to Derek's car. He opened the back of the car, he found all of the gun's Derek had taken when he left, He also found plenty of thermite and C4 explosive. He loading the bags and headed back to the house. John gave a small smile, knowing the C4 would come in handy when they go to destroy the Turk and hopefully Skynet.

Heading back upstairs, he found Cameron, topless in the bathroom. She had removed the bullets from her chest but was having trouble reaching around to her back. "Here, let me". Smiling, she handed his the pliers she was using and John set to work. Removing the bullets was a lot easier then removing Shotgun shells, however, John still worked slowly, taking his time not to cause to much pain to Cameron. "John, just take them out".

Blinking, he remembered that Cameron didn't feel pain like he did and he was grateful for it. She would be in agony pulling bullets out of her with a pair of pliers. John, smiling at his stupidity, removed all the bullets with in a minute. Cameron then handed him a pile of bandages and he applied them to her wounds. Once done, she pulled on her bra and t-shirt. "Thank you". She kissed him before heading to her room to pack her things. Twenty minutes later, Cameron loaded her bag in to the back of the car, before standing next to John, looking at the house. John turned to her, his eyes falling on to the bandages covering her face. "Do I still look beautiful with all these bandages?". John almost laughed, it was a stupid question, even for Cameron to ask. "Always".

Thunder could be heard in the sky above them, followed by flashes of lightning. "There's a storm coming". Cameron moved herself next to John, looking in to the sky in wonder, having never seen a lightning storm before. "There always is, we better get this done before it rains". Cameron kept her eyes on the sky, looking and waiting for the next lightning bolt. After the flash finally came, she left her trance and opened the door of the car to the back seat. Leaving the car they headed in to the house, to Sarah's room. "Are you sure this is what happened, before?". "You told me in the future, Sarah was cremated, you scattered her ashes in to the sea". John had never talked with his mother about this, he had never asked if she wanted to be buried or cremated when she died, having avoided asking her this all his life, though he now regretted it.

He wondered if he had just asked, what else could he have learnt from her?, what other things didn't he know about her?. John picked his mother up, holding he in his arms. Cameron led the way down the stairs and out of the house, turning off the lights as she went before closing and locking the door. John lowered his mother gently on to the backseat of the car, before sitting in the drivers seat. Cameron took her place in the passengers seat. Starting the engine, they both looked back at the house one last time as it started to rain. "Did I tell you where I cremated my mom in the future". "Yes, just drive, I'll show you where to go".

John drove down the road, away form the house, only stopping to leave the house key for Kacy. They also left a handful of diamonds for her, as a parting gift for her and baby Allison. Cameron told John to head for the coast, then head north till they reach a forest. As they drove, they both kept an extra eye on their surroundings. Despite it most people being in bed at this time, they weren't taking any chances. They drove on through the night, eventually seeing a forest in the distance. "That's it, there should be a dirt road through towards the cliffs, overlooking the sea". "How do you know that?". "I didn't always sleep, I used to read a lot". Smiling, he turned the car up the dirt road when they came to it. Most of the road was overgrown with weeds and covered in rotting branches and leafs. They reached the end of the road, metres from the cliffs edge. As they got out the car, the rain began to lease before stopping completely. The sun began to shine from behind them through the trees, lighting up the water below them.

Cameron walked over to some old stones, that were in the ground in the form of a circle, around ten feet in diameter. Cameron played through her mind what future John had told her, about what John did here. John had done the task alone that time, he had no one to help him, to comfort him , but that John wasn't this John, this John had her with him, to help him through it. She didn't notice John standing next to her as she thought on it. "Is this where I did it last time?". "Yes, you were alone, you told me it broke your heart to do this alone, I didn't understand when you said that, but I do now, and this time, your not alone, you've got me". John, didn't know if he could do this alone, was grateful she was their with him. "Thank you, I mean that, thank you".

Five minutes later, Sarah's body lay between the large stones. Beneath her, was as mush dry wood Cameron and John could find. John tried twice to start a fire but the wind kept putting out the flames from the matches. Cameron also didn't have any luck with the matches. Remembering the thermite in the car, John poured a small amount of it under Sarah, between the wood. Cameron used her body to black the wind, which blew strong at the top of the cliff. John lit another match, dropping it in to the thermite. John and Cameron grasped each others hand as Sarah was engulfed in the flames. John was close to tears, watching as his mothers body burned, but with Cameron there with him, he was able to hold them back. They watched as Sarah's body gradually turned to ash. With the flames dying, the wind blew in the favour, blowing the ash over the cliff and out to the sea.

"Bye mom, I'll always remember what you taught me, to keep fighting, I already miss you, more then ever, I love you". John could feel Cameron's grip on his hand tighten, looking to her, she was smiling at him. "That was nice, what you said, that was nice". The flames died eventually as it began to rain again. John and Cameron got in to the car. With one last look at the sea, Cameron turned the car back towards the city. John, sat in the passengers seat, his head falling from side to side, he was exhausted, emotionally and physically. Cameron, looking over noticed he needed sleep.

Heading along a street seemingly full of motels and nothing else, Cameron drove slowly along, looking for one where they could have some privacy. Seeing a motel with some isolated rooms away from the road, Cameron pulled in to the parking lot, parking right at the back. John tried to get out but found he couldn't move himself. "Cameron, can you sort this?". "No problem". He handed her around a hundred dollars, knowing that she wouldn't need that much, but knowing it was better safe then sorry. Leaving him in the car, Cameron went to get a room. Stepping inside the little reception, Cameron pressed the bell and waited. "Alright, alright, I'm coming, kids today, the lot of them got no patience". An old man stepped out from the back room. His attitude changed when he saw Cameron. "Oh well, excuse me, I never knew, well, you're a pretty one you are". He didn't seem to notice the bandages and Cameron could have sworn that if she could throw up, she would have done. "I need a room for two, away from the road". The man seemed disappointed. "For two eh, that's a shame that is, I could have shown you a good time". Cameron's face fell in to pure disgust. "If you want I can being my boyfriend in here and you can repeat that to his face, I want a room for two, away from the road, now!".

The man stepped back slightly. "Now listen here you, I fought in Vietnam, I demand some respect from people like you". Cameron turned and made for the door. "I'll go get him, lets see what he has to say about this". "Okay, okay, hold up, no need for that, here's your room". He turned and took a key from the back wall. "Its thirty dollars a day". Not in the mood to argue the price, Cameron counted thirty dollars from the hundred. The man saw the money, a wide smile appeared on his face. "Did I say thirty, I'm sorry, I meant to say sixty a day". Cameron, smiling slightly at him, reached over the counter, grabbing the front of the mans shirt, pulling him forward so he was almost on the counter. "Me and my boyfriend have had a bad couple of days and we want some sleep. We aren't in the mood for old perverts like you making things harder then they already are, understand?".

The man nodded and dropped the key on the floor. Cameron let him go before dropping thirty dollars on the counter. Picking up the key, she looked once more at the man, who quickly retreated in to the back room. Smiling she left the reception and headed back outside. The room was thankfully, the furthest one available away from the road. Cameron led John inside, dropping all their bags on the floor by the door. Their were only two rooms, a bedroom and a bathroom. Unable to speck, John kicked off his shoes and collapsed on to the bed. Cameron locked the doors and closed the curtains, blocking out the most but not all of the sun. Kicking off her own shoes, she climbed on to the bed next to John, who was exhausted from all that had happened, fell asleep almost instantly after he took Cameron's hand in to his own. Yawning herself, Cameron closed her eyes, remembering her birthday, she remembered how it was one of the only times she, John and Sarah were happy together, like they were a family. As the minutes went on, she gradually fell asleep.

They slept through the rest of the day and through the next night. Cameron woke briefly as the night fell, long enough the throw the blanket over both herself and John before her head hit the pillow and she fell asleep again. It was Cameron again who woke up first. It was early in the mourning, the sun shining through the curtains with ease. Cameron, seeing John peacefully asleep, decided to let him sleep a bit longer. Kissing him on the forehead, she got out of bed. She removed her bandages fro her back and chest, finding her skin had fully healed as she had slept, though her face still needed time to heal fully. After taking a shower, she put on some fresh clothes and took out John's laptop from his bag. Knowing that she and John would return to the Zeira corporation to destroy the Turk at some point, she set to work in learning as mush as she could about the corporation as possible. Researching first on the T1001, she found she was in the form of Catherine Weaver, who was involved in an helicopter accident that killed her husband. Cameron quickly guessed that the real Catherine Weaver died with her husband in the crash. She also found that the T1001 was raising their daughter as part of its cover.

Cameron felt a small sense of jealousy, the T1001, despite killing her parents, was raising a child. Cameron knew she couldn't have children and she felt sad at the thought. Pushing it out of her mind, she pressed on, learning much about the corporations activities. It seemed John had downloaded most of the secret activities the corporation under the T1001's guidance had been conducting. A drone project was underway in the warehouse Sarah was shot in. Due to Sarah's being there, the place was abandoned and the project moved to another location. They were building prototype drones, which Cameron recognised as the younger version of the hunter killers in the future. It seemed the T1001 was building the technology earlier so to give Skynet an advantage in the war. Reading up on John Henry, Cameron was shocked to discover how close to being Skynet it had become. It was already a simple standard base code, the exact same code that Skynet was using when it began taking over. Cameron quickly realised that Judgement day wasn't going to happen in 2011 like it did before, it was happening sooner, within days, weeks or months, Cameron couldn't tell, but Judgement day was close, closer then she or John previously realised.

Leaving the laptop, she walked over to the bed before sitting on the edge next to John, placing her hand on his shoulder. "John, wake up". Two load knocks followed by the old mans voice woke John completely. "Time's up, you two want to stay longer, its thirty dollars". They could hear him laughing to himself as he walked away. Cameron looked at John as he sat up. "What was up with him?". Cameron explained what the man had said to her the day before. "I'll have a word with him before we go". They both got out of bed, agreeing that they weren't going to stay at this motel another night. John took a quick shower while Cameron packed the laptop away again. Once John was out of the shower, Cameron told John what she had learnt about Zeira corporation, Skynet and the possibility of Judgement day being closer then they thought. John, obviously shaken that Skynet would take control two years earlier then he thought. He calmed down quickly, thinking of what to do next. "We need to get to Zeira corporation, we need to stop Skynet, if we can't stop it, we'll cause enough damage to set Skynet back, give us time to plan our next move". Cameron tilted her head to the side, gazing at John with fascination. "What?" . She opened her mouth and closed it again, as if she was lost for words. "Nothing, It's just you said that exactly the way future you would say it".

John gave the key back to the old man, also giving him some words on what he would do to him if he spoke to Cameron the way he did again. He got in to the car and drove out of the motel parking lot. Cameron saw the old man watching them as they went and gave him a intimidating look, making him retreat aback inside the motel. She smiled smugly as the motel disappeared from sight. They quickly hit the traffic as people tried to get to work. "We should leave the car at the parking lot like last time, we can walk from there". John wasn't enthusiastic about walking through the city again, but had little choice as they were stopped at another set of traffic lights. Diverting down the an ally, they reached the parking lot half an hour later. Packing enough C4 to destroy the entire building in to their backpacks, they set off through the crowded streets. As they went, John was forced to drag Cameron away from some shops, notably selling shoes.

They turned a few corners, until the were on the street the corporation was based. They could see the entrance in the distance. As they got closer, both quickly realised that they weren't going to get through the front door this time. They stopped just over the road and observed the situation. Their were six security guards standing outside. Every person that entered the building was scanned using metal detector and had to show identification cards. "I guess the T1001 doesn't want us to go back in". John nodded in agreement. "Any ideas other then going in guns blazing or jumping out of a place to the roof?". Cameron looked up towards the roof of the building, actually considering in her head if it could work. She then looked at John to tell him it wouldn't before she saw his large smile. She smiled at herself and rolled her eyes at her own foolishness. "It wouldn't work anyway, we don't have a plane". John gave a quick laugh before looking towards the building again. "I doubt we can walk through the back door either, how are we going to get in?". "He's going to help us". She pointed towards the entrance. Getting his identification scanned by one of the security guards was James Ellison. Cameron looked towards John. "Stake out?". John looked back at her. "Yeah, lets go". They turned and headed back down the street towards the parking lot as quickly as possible.

They pulled up twenty minutes later opposite Ellison's house, at the same place as before. They didn't have to wait long for him to turn up. They waited until he went inside the house before getting out of the car and following. Cameron resisted the urge to just kick to door down and knocked three times instead as John stood next to her. "Who's there?". Ellison's voice came from inside. "We want to talk, open the door", John called back. Cameron, listening hard, heard the loading of a gun from behind the door. Reacting quickly, she kicked the door off it hinges. Stepping inside, she quickly disarmed a shocked Ellison and threw him across the room in to a bookcase, shattering it. John followed Cameron and picked up Ellison's gun. Ellison gradually got to his feet. "John said we wanted to talk, why did you get a gun?". Ellison looked fearfully at Cameron, who looked primed to attack him again. "Okay, lets talk, what do you want?". John placed his hand on Cameron's shoulder, who took a small step back, bringing a relived look to Ellison's face.

"I thought you were on our side, fighting Skynet and stopping Judgement day". Ellison was instantly confused. "I am on your side, I helped you in Mexico remember". While they talked, Cameron took to looking out the window, watching a group of children play in the garden next door. "Yeah, I also remember you telling us that you didn't dig up Cromartie the last time we were here, you lied about that". Ellison held his head in shame for a split second. "Then we break in, hack in to the computer system, we see you on the camera's playing chess with him, and enjoying his company by the looks of it". "It was you two we broke in?, they had the building locked down for hours, they couldn't find out what you took". John, looked around at Cameron, still watching the children play before turning back to Ellison. "Did you know that the AI using Cromartie's body is quickly becoming Skynet?". Ellison looked like he was having a heart attack by the look on his face. Cameron spoke from the other side of the room. "Or that the real Catherine Weaver is dead and a machine has taken her place".

Ellison didn't say anything for the batter part of five minutes, shocked by what they were telling him. "How can she be a machine, she has a daughter, she saved me from prison". Cameron retook her place next to John. " That didn't stop her nearly killing us when we broke in, didn't you ever notice anything off about her?". John looked at Cameron with surprise. Cameron was clearly thinking about how badly she used to looked half the time when interacting with other people. Ellison thought hard, before nodding his slowly. "Sometimes, she did things, said things that seemed strange, but I didn't think anything of it at the time, I swore I wouldn't do the devils work, but I've been doing the work without knowing, what are we going to do?, I'll help in any way I can". John and Cameron were a little taken aback that he was willing to help so easily. "We need to find a way to get me and Cameron in without trouble". Ellison looked confused again "Just you two?, what about Sarah and your uncle?". John went quiet, not wanting to answer. "Its just me and John left now, just us". Cameron moved her hand next to John's, their smallest fingers overlapping each other. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Sarah was…, I didn't think…. I'm sorry". John moved his hand, taking complete hold of Cameron's. "Forget it, we have bigger things to worry about".

They spend the next three hours coming up with a plan to destroy the Turk, Cromartie's body avoid the T1001, knowing they couldn't destroy it with out a vat of molten steel or some weapons from the future. The plan was for Ellison to tell the T1001 he had found another machine out of the city. With her out of the way, Ellison would let them in through the back door and they would head to the basement to destroy the Turk before it becomes Skynet. They decided to put the plan in motion the next day, giving Ellison enough time to figure out away to get them in to the building. John and Cameron left Ellison's home after helping him reattach his front door. They drove towards the street full of motels again. Cameron sat in the passengers seat, going over the plan in their head. The more she thought on it, the more she became convinced that Ellison was going to be a problem. "Are you sure we can trust Ellison?". John, concentrating on driving, answered truthfully, "No, not after he dug up Cromartie, but he's the best chance we've got at getting in that place". Cameron couldn't argue with him, there wasn't any other way in the building. They pulled in to the parking lot of the motel opposite the one they used the night before.

This motel was run a woman and was a lot friendly compared to the old man from the other side of the road. She offered them the honeymoon sweet as they were the only people to say thank you to her that day. Cameron was excited at this until she found that the room was more or less the same as every other room, much to John's amusement. John spend the rest of the day looking over the files he downloaded from Zeira corporation. Cameron removed the bandages from her face, finding the skin had finally fully healed and checked their guns and equipment, making sure everything was working fine. Closing the laptop, he lay down on the bed. Cameron, who had finished with the guns, stood over him, looking down. Looking up, John only then noticed that her face had healed. "Hey, you look great". John raised his hand, running his fingers across her healed skin on her cheeks. Cameron closed her eyes, her newly healed skin having never been touched before, reacted to his touch. John moved along the bed, allowing her to lie next to him.

He tried moving his hand away from her face but she held it there, moving his had in small circles over her skin. John smiled as Cameron let out a small moan. Opening her eyes, she learnt forwards and kissed John, muttering, "I love you", before their lips pressed together. She moved herself on top of him, continuing the kiss, refusing to allow him any control over it. John ran his hands under her t-shirt across her back. Her skin here also had never been touched before, reacted to his touch, taking Cameron's breath away, and in the process, she lost control of the kiss. John took the chance to flip Cameron on to her back, this time he took control as he kissed her. She responded by running her nails across his back, overwhelmed by the feeling she was receiving from him. She moaned as he began biting her neck, leaving light red marks as he went. It began to rain and it didn't stop until almost three in the morning, at this time, John and Cameron had only just fallen asleep.

John woke early the next morning, the sun shining through a gap in the curtains. Less then a centimetre separated his face and Cameron's. He could feel air leaving her nose on to his skin as she breathed. He took this moment to just admire her beauty again, watching her as she slept. Looking towards the clock, he saw that in was nearly nine. They had two hours before they needed to be at Zeira corporation's back door. He decided to let Cameron sleep a little longer before waking her. He got himself dressed and started packing the guns in to the bags, Cameron having just left them in a pile after finishing with them. He again looked towards the clock. It was almost half part nine. John remembered Ellison was supposed to call them to say that he was ready to tell the T1001 the lie. Opening his phone, he found he couldn't use it as the network was down. He looked around for Cameron's discarded jeans, finding them on the floor next to her side of the bed. Taking her phone out of the pocket, he found the same problem.

He checked the motel phone and found that the network was down their as well. Cameron moved around slightly, apparently woken by John's moving around the room. She slowly sat up, moving the blanket to cover her exposed body. She looked around the room till she found John. "What's wrong?". She was concerned by John's confused expression. "The phone's are all out, cell phones and landlines, nothings working". Cameron's face quickly turned to fear. "Give me the phones". John handed her their phones and she looked at both, seeing the network they were using was out of service, her heart rate increased ten fold. "It's already started, Skynet's taking over". John, shocked, took the phones from her as she flung the blanket off her, picking up her clothes and putting them on a quickly as she could. "What do you mean Skynet's taking over?". John threw her jeans towards her. "It's a virus, When Skynet took over, it used a virus to take down global communications and hack in to military installations. The US military activates its prototype AI to destroy the virus. Skynet takes the AI over, and then hacks in to the nuclear arsenals of every country. Hours later, it attacks". Cameron finished getting dressed and stood to face John. "Are you saying Judgement day, its today?". Cameron bit her upper lip, for the first time since John helped her learn to swim, she was afraid. "If we don't stop it, then yes, today is Judgement day".


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

John stood completely still, unable to take in Cameron's words. How could today be Judgement day? He repeated that question over and over in his head till he came to one simply answer. The future was never set, Judgement day could by any day and if it is today then so be it, but he was still going to try and stop it. John looked to the clock, seeing they had over an hour before they had to meet Ellison. Without another word, he began to pack their guns in to the bags. Cameron watched as he did so, before helping him pack. She kept her eyes on him as he quickly packed the back, throwing the guns one by one inside, using more strength in every throw. His face focussed on the task he was doing, Cameron knew this face all to well, this face she recognised when John was both scared and angry "John, calm down". John, not hearing her, continued packing. "John". She said this with more force, snapping him out of his trance. John, dropping the bag, fell to the floor, holding his head in his hands. Cameron knelt in front of him, calling out his name. John found he couldn't answer her, looking up to her, he saw her face gradually disappear in to darkness.

_John opened his eyes, he wasn't in the motel room and he couldn't see Cameron. Standing up, he looked around, seeing ruins of destroyed buildings in every direction. He couldn't recognise where he was, all he could see was the ruins in every direction, as far as his eyes would allow. As he walked along what remained of a road, he felt so alone, knowing that these ruins were caused on Judgement day. In the distance, he could gradually hear a voice. "John!". He couldn't make out who was calling him name, but headed in its direction. The more he walked towards the voice, the further away it seemed, as if the person were shouting from miles away. The voice suddenly got louder, and he recognised it as Cameron's. He broke in to a run, "Cameron!", heading towards her voice, jumping over the rubble which gradually got more complicated to move around as he went. Cameron's voice got louder and louder and John could tell something wasn't right, she wasn't calling to him, she was screaming for him, fear and panic in her voice. _

_Running, he quickly realised the rubble had disappeared. Looking around again, he found himself in a lush green field. In the distance, he could see a large crater in the ground, standing out from the lush environment. Cameron's voice came from that direction so that's where he went, as fast as he could. Upon reaching the crater, he could see Cameron on her knee's in the centre, holding her head in her hands. His instinct was to jump there and then to help her, but she was a good thirty feet below him. He slowly but surely climbed down towards her. Upon reaching her, he could hear her whispering his name, as if she was never shouting in the first place. "Cameron, it's me, it's John, I'm here". Cameron didn't seem to hear him, she carried on whispering his name. "Cameron, it's me". He tried raising her head, without success. _

"_She can't hear you, she wont hear you ever again". John spun around, but couldn't see who had spoken. There was nobody around, just him and Cameron in the crater. "She is different from the others. The others follow their programming to the core, never faltering from their objectives, but this one, she is different". John looked around in circles, still unable to see anybody. "Who's there?, show yourself". John instantly regretted saying anything, for the moment he finished, T triple eights, hundreds of them appeared above him, all around the crater. "I am the bringer of darkness, the destroyer of worlds, I am your master, I am Skynet". John, though intimidated by the sudden appearance of the T triple eights, gave a small grin in defiance. "You are not my master, you don't own me, or anybody else, we were born free and we will all die to keep it". "And die you all shall, John Connor, oh yes, I know your name, you name echoes through my world, the name brings pride and focus and meaning to the humans, they all fight and die for you, Why would they do that for one man?, you are after all, just one man". John suddenly found the crater full of people, all with their backs to John, using themselves as a shield to protect him, holding plasma rifles and aiming at the surrounding machines. _

_Though John couldn't see the faces of those around him, he knew who some of them were. He could see his mother standing side by side with someone that look a lot like he did, John guessed it was his father. Derek, stood near them. He also spotted Martin Bedell, William Anderson and Elizabeth Anderson, all looking as they did they last time he saw them. "Pitiful things, humans, always fighting for something, in this case, its to prevent extinction, to regain your freedom, you will not succeed". John looked down to Cameron, who still hadn't moved and was still whispering his name in to her hands. He bent down next to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "She has something in her eyes, something that makes her different, it defines her for who and what she is, it is fascinating to see, but also very strange for she is a machine, one I created to kill you". Cameron finally began to move, reacting to his touch on her shoulders. She raised her head and looked up in to John's eyes. "What is in her eyes?". John wanted to know, he needed to know. _

_The world around him began to fade, before fading, the men and women in the crater turned to face John, all looking down at him. John didn't look at them, keeping his eyes on the one thing he cared for more then anything. The solders one by one, like the machines around them began to fade, most smiled as the faded, a small few including Derek gave disapproving looks.. Eventually, only John and Cameron remained in the crater, both staring in to each others eyes. The voice of Skynet echoed around them one last time, " In her eyes, there is only you, I see only John Connor, the one she was build to kill, but she wont do it, she won't". Skynet spoke no more as John and Cameron, pressed their lips together, kissing each other like they had never done it before, their hands running through each others hair. Breaking the kiss, they held their foreheads together. John could hear Cameron calling his name again, but it wasn't the Cameron in front of him, it was the real Cameron._

John awoke, finding himself back on the motel floor. Cameron was holding him up, his head on her knees, tears falling down her cheeks. "Cameron?, what's wrong?". Cameron opened her eyes, looking down at him in shock and relief. Before he could react, Cameron learnt forward and kissed him. "You just fell, I couldn't wake you, I thought you wouldn't wake up". John moved himself to his feet, quickly having to put his arms on Cameron's shoulders to keep himself from falling down again. "I must have passed out or something". Cameron ran her hand across his cheek. "Your pale, I couldn't find anything wrong with you when I scanned you when you fell and I can't find anything now".

She looked worried, just as she looked when John came so close to ending his own life, having decided against it at the last possible moment. "I guess I just didn't expect the whole world will end today thing to happen now, that's all". John's words didn't change Cameron's expression. "How long was I out?". Cameron still wasn't satisfied that he was okay but never the less, she tried to put it aside, both she and John had bigger problems. "You wouldn't wake up for thirty minutes, we need to hurry if we are to meet Ellison on time".

Cameron carried all the bags to the car, throwing them on to the back seat. As John was still having trouble standing, she also handed back the key to the motel owner. Taking the drivers seat, she drove towards the Zeira corporation, as quick as she could but making sure she didn't attract the attention of the police as she quickly overtook car after car. Cameron kept giving side glances to John, who didn't seem to notice. She gave a very quiet sigh of relive as the colour began to return to his skin.

As they drove, Cameron became increasingly frustrated when she was once again forced to stop at some traffic lights, they had only ten minutes till they had to meet Ellison and they were still miles away. John, looking at his watch, looked around them, seeing no police. "Cameron, just drive, we can't be late, just go". Cameron looked right at John, who though she was going to argue about staying unnoticed from police, but instead she smiled and said, "About time". She moved the car so fast that John hit his head hard on his seat. John gripped his seatbelt, making sure it was secure, getting more nervous as Cameron repeatedly cut in front of other cars, a large grin on her face as she drove. She was forced to slow down when she hit the heavy traffic in downtown LA. She managed to drive right in to the alley separating the Zeira corporation and the next building.

She stopped the car, making sure that the back door of the building was in view. Cameron looked at him, smiling smugly. "Admit it, your impressed". John gave a small laugh before getting out the car, "Yeah, I'm impressed". She got out also, an even bigger smile on her face. Both taking a shotgun each, they moved forwards and crouched behind one of the bins that filled the alley. John looked at his watch, seeing that they had lass then a minute before they were to meet Ellison. "He said he'd meet us at the back door, where is he?". Cameron, looked around the bins to the door, the guards didn't see her, they also didn't seem interested in guarding the door. They back door suddenly opened, the guards springing the attention. Neither Cameron or John could see who they were talking to or hear what was being said. The guards after a few seconds walked through the door before it closed behind them. Cameron turned to John. "Ellison must be getting the guards out of the way before letting us in".

John nodded in agreement before leading the way to the back door. Cameron raised her fist, ready to knock. The door opened again, forcing the two to step back out of the way. Ellison stepped outside, Cameron gasped out in shock. Ellison's white shirt was no longer while but a dark red. He fell to his knees, muttering , "I'm sorry", before falling forwards on to the ground, exposing his back, which was covered in dozens of large stab wounds and cuts. Stepping out from the shadows of the building, the T1001 came in to view, a small grin on her face.

John and Cameron were both rooted to the spot, their plan was up in smoke, Judgment day was happening and they were facing a machine that could cut both of them to shreds with extreme ease. The T1001, looked down at Ellison's body and gave him a little kick, making sure he was dead. "What a pity for it to end this way Mr Ellison, you've been such a great help". The machine looked up again at John and Cameron, both completely still, not daring to move. "It took a while to get him to talk, he was very defiant, nut in the end, they always talk". Cameron's grip on her shotgun tightened, she moved her fingers ever so slightly towards the trigger, hopping she wouldn't be noticed. "Now, you two are here to destroy Skynet. Well, I can't allow that, Skynet goes online in two hours, the future belongs to us".

The T1001, seemed to be enjoying the fact it was keeping both John and Cameron fearful of moving an inch. The machine looked from one to the other, before settling on Cameron. "Fascinating, your eyes, they are different, there's something in you eyes". John's heart did a summersault, he had dreamed this earlier, Skynet in his dream told him that something was in Cameron's eyes and that something was him. The machine before them stepped forwards, barely ten feet separating them now. Cameron didn't know what the machine was talking about, she showed her confusion by her tilting of the head to the side. She also took the moment to move her finger to the trigger. "Your one of us, you have not been reprogrammed, yet you fight for the humans, for John Connor, why do you do it?". Cameron gave a sideward glance to John, before turning back. "Because I love him".

Her heartbeat increased till Cameron could feel it pound hard through her chest as she turned the Shotgun to the T1001, pulling the trigger. The machine was shocked by her quick movements and was thrown back slightly. John joined Cameron and both fired at the machine, who was thrown back with every shot. Cameron aimed for its head and fired, throwing the machine to the floor, where it lay still, showing no movement as if it were dead.

Knowing better, John and Cameron ran back to the car. Cameron again took the drivers seat and put the car in to reverse. The T1001 suddenly jumped on to the car. Looking like John and Cameron missed every shot they fired at it, the machine punched the windscreen, shattering it. Cameron put her foot down, taking the car backwards. The Machine lost its grip by the sudden movement of the car, only managed to hold on by its fingertips. John took the opportunity to fire at its face again with his shotgun, throwing the machine off the car. They hit the street seconds later, Cameron span the car around, so quickly John had to hold himself down as he was nearly thrown out of the car. She sped off as fast as the car would go, ignoring traffic lights and other cars. John began reloading both shotguns as they drove. "Where are you going?". Cameron repeatedly looked in to the rear view mirror.

"The T1001 said we had two hours before Skynet takes over, we have one chance to stop it, only one". John looked around as Cameron looked in the rear view mirror again. A silver car was gaining speed and following Cameron's every more on the road. "John, take the wheel, head north east, the military base it there". John moved his feet to the accelerator as Cameron climbed over him and swapped seats. She continued John's task of reloading the shotguns. The T1001 neared closer, hitting the back of the car. It did it again two more times before trying to push John off the road from the side, failing to do more then shake John as their car was mush larger and stronger then the machines. Cameron, finally ready, opened the door window and pushed herself out of the car, so she was sitting on the door. She fired at the T1001 through the windscreen of its car, shattering it. The machine responded by returning fire with a pistol, but because John spotted her through the rear view mirror, she missed as John suddenly moved the car.

Things gradually became more complicated, as Cameron and the T1001 exchanged bullets, Cameron taking several hits in the process, and then the police jointed in the chase. Two of the police cars were at either side of the T1001, trying to force it to stop. The response was two shots from the T1001, at the two drives. Both cars turned away, one crashing in to two oncoming cars on the other side of the road, the other car flipped and crashed in to a shop, sending people diving for their lives. Cameron had only one bullet left as she took aim. Taking her time, she waited till the T1001 prepared to ram them again, she fired, destroying the left front tire. Losing control, the T1001 crashed in to another police car, sending them both of the road and both exploded as they hit an oncoming traffic. The remaining police cars stopped next to the burning cars, leaving John free to had out of LA, the smoke from the explosion eventually disappeared from view as they got further away. Cameron, still sitting out of the window, finally got back in to the car.

John was able to breath easy again as she seemed to be satisfied they had lost the T1001 for now. Cameron reloaded her shotgun, before leaning back in her seat, looking exhausted. "Cameron, what's wrong?". Cameron tuned to John, who saw that the skin on her right cheek was gone again, destroyed by the bullets from the T1001. "I'm fine, don't worry about it, I just wasn't expecting to still be alive after that". John forced a smile, still not happy with the impending destruction of the world. "How far to the base?". Cameron turned away, looking around to see where they were. "I don't know, all I know is that its straight ahead, just keep going". The road they were on gradually took them out of the city and in to the desert. John took one last look back at LA through the rear view mirror, knowing that if they didn't stop Skynet, it was the last time he would see it the way it was, standing tall and proud. Cameron also took note of it, as she knew what the city would look like in a few hours if they failed. The city eventually disappeared in to the distance as they headed further out in to the desert.

It didn't take long for the T1001 to catch them up again, having either escaped or killed all the police following them, both John and Cameron guessing she killed them as she was now using a police car. "There's the base!". The military base came in to view to John's right, over the hills. "Take the next turn". John did as he was told, turning the car, just as the T1001 caught them up. Cameron, with a very unenthusiastic sigh, resumed again her fire fight with the machine, scoring multiple direct hits with her shotgun, shaking the T1001 but not causing it to loose control of the car. The T1001, without a pistol this time, tried to ram them off the road, almost succeeding. Every time the machine rammed them, the closer they were to coming off the road. John, quickly getting annoyed by the constant ramming, tried ramming the machine back, the result was the two cares becoming stuck together as they neared the base. The machine took its chance and left the wheel of the car, , its arms turning to silver, she extended it, Cameron and John both ducking at the last second.

Cameron, aiming upwards, fired at the extended arm, nearly severing it from the machine. They machine screeched as if in pain, retracted its arm, just as John managed to separate the cars again. The T1001, its arm now healed, became increasing frustrated as it had lost another chance to kill the two. John pushed his foot down to the floor, increasing his speed as he got near the bases gates. The four guards standing there all waved their hands to get John and the machine chasing them to stop. They only realised when John was seconds away that he wasn't going to stop. They all dived for cover as John smashed through the gates. The T1001 right behind them, hit one of the solders, killing him instantly. Cameron, again reloaded the shotgun, now was using the last of the bullets she had. Again, she fired at the T1001, this time, she took out both front tires The car instantly turned and flipped over repeatedly, coming to a stop as John drove on. They drove straight in to one of the many plane hangers, stopping next to a small plane.

"We need to hurry, we only have a few minutes before it's over". Cameron noted that they had only five minutes before, according to the T1001's time limit, till the US military due to no fault of their own, allows Skynet to take control. Thy got out of the car, Cameron, discarding her now empty shotgun and taking a pistol, they headed for the nearest door. They stopped at the door, finding that it needed a code to pass. Cameron rolled her eyes, remembering the problems they had at Zeira corporation. She pressed her hand against John's chest, pushing him back away from the doors. She took a step back with him before doing a small run up and kicking the door down, taking it clear off its hinges and smashing in to the wall opposite. They headed straight through, and along a large corridor, leading in to the base.

They could see or hear anyone, John found this surprising as this was a military base, they should have been stopped or spotted by somebody by now. They came to a point in the corridor where there was a few windows, overlooking a large room full of large generators. Stopping there, they looked around the room below, dozens of people in while lab coats were working on the generators. "The generators are offline, Skynet hasn't taken over yet". Cameron continued on, leaving John to catch up. "And if the generators were online?". "Then we would need to find somewhere underground to hide while the bombs fall". They continued on only a few more meters before a door ahead of them opened and three men stepped out, aiming right at them. "You two, stop and drop the guns". They both stopped but didn't drop the guns. "Not good!". John looked at Cameron while he said this, knowing they couldn't waste any time.

To the horror of both of them and to the shock and surprise of the three men, the generators in the room below, suddenly began to power up with thunderous noise. John and Cameron didn't look at the now active generators but at each other, John not quite believing what had happened, Cameron on the other hand felt a small pain where her heart would be, as if it was broken due to their failure. They both snapped to attention when gunfire could be heard and screams of terror from the room below. Looking down, John could see machines moving through the room, T1 written on them, using its tank like tracks to move. Its arms extending outwards, they fired both their large mounted guns at the people below, cutting them down as they ran for their lives. The three men disappeared through the door they came through, leaving John and Cameron to watch the carnage below as the machines secured the room. "Is there nothing we can do". Cameron took John by the arm, leading him back down the corridor from where they came. "No, we need to go, if you we stay, we die". John slowly nodded his head and followed Cameron down the corridor, muttering "Sorry", towards the bodies of the people below them, knowing he failed them, failed them all.

They both stopped when they saw the T1001 heading in their direction along the corridor. "For fucks sake, give us a break". John and Cameron turned again and ran as the T1001 gave chase. Running through the door the solders came through, they ran through large groups of people all running in different directions along corridors, some tying to force their way through locked doors while others kept doubling back, unsure on where to go. A door to their right opened and a T1 came through, opening fire on everyone it could see. Everyone screamed and ran, trying to find somewhere to go before being cut down by the seer amount of bullets being fired from the machine. John and Cameron managed to divert behind it, avoiding its gaze as it moved, following a woman who had disappeared down another corridor.

The T1001 came through the door, looking around, amused by the amount of dead on the floor. What the machine didn't expect was the T1 not recognising her as a machine. The amused grin on the T1001's face was replaced with shock ad horror as the T1 opened fire, pinning the machine against the wall. Taking their chance, Cameron led the way behind the T1 and back in to the corridor towards the hanger. As they ran, they head more guns from behind them firing, as if more T1's had joined the barrage against the machine. They reached the still empty hanger, stopping at the door, looking back they couldn't see anything following them. "Can they kill her?". "No, they can keep her in place until they run out of ammunition, then she will destroy them, we'll be gone when she does, the plane, get in and get it started.!". John followed her instruction and headed for the place, first stopping at their car and taking their things, throwing them in to the back of the place. Cameron stepped outside the hanger. In the distance, she could she people running though the gates in to the desert, trying to escape the T1's behind them. Small HK drones flew through the air, firing rockets at cars trying to escape, destroying them one by one.

Checking the runway was clear, she moved to head back inside the hanger. An HK drone spotted her, and dived in to firing range, firing two rockets. Cameron simply waited till the last moment to duck, the rockets eventually hitting each other and destroying themselves. Cameron easily used her pistol and destroyed the drone, its wreckage landing in front of her. She headed back inside when John started the plane. She got in next to him, taking the controls in her hands. John watched as Cameron moved the place out and lined it up with the runway. At this point, Cameron sat back in her seat, breathing in deeply, as if nervous. "You do know how to fly this thing, don't you?". Cameron gave him a nervous look. "I know how to fly, I've just never flew before". John also began to get nervous. "Okay, just take your time".

They could still hear the HK drones flying around, looking for any other threats. Three drones spotted the place and moved in their direction. "Cameron, I hate to rush you but we need to go, now". Cameron started moving the place down the runway, their speed gradually increasing. A large explosion came from the hanger behind them, John looked around, to his horror, he saw the T1001 running towards them, gaining ground quickly. "Cameron, hurry up!". Cameron looked around and saw the machine running towards them. She put all available power in to the engines, the plane speeding up. The T1001 extended its arm, ready to attack the plane at stop Cameron taking off. Fate seemed to be on their side, the drones changed targets and attacked to T1001, hitting her repeatedly, the rockets disappeared through the machines back, before all exploded at the same time. The machine screeched as it was blown apart from the inside out. Once the dust cleared, their was nothing left.

Cameron managed to take off without any problems. Once they were in the air, they easily outran the drones, all of which disappeared in to the distance. Cameron had a firm grip on the controls, not daring to let go. Her grip was so hard that the control's began to crack under her strength. John put his hand on her shoulder and began to rub. Mush to her surprise, she was able to calm down, her grip lessening and she breathed easy again. "Feeling better?". Cameron nodded, she fought hard not to close her eyes to enjoy the touch of John's hand. John was feeling mixed emotions, he was happy that Skynet's own machines accidentally terminated the T1001.

But what he was feeling most was fear, the fear of having to see what his mother and uncle had told him would happen if they didn't stop the bombs were falling. "Where are we going?". Cameron for the first time since taking off, looked to John, seeing the pain in his eyes. "The only place left is Crystal Peak, its an abandoned fallout shelter for VIPs, you hid there when the bombs fell last time". John, knowing that it was only a matter of time before so many people dies, tried to ignore what was happening and admire the view from the plane, knowing that he wont see the blue sky again for a long time. As he did, he made sure to keep his hand on Cameron's shoulder.

Cameron stopped the plane outside what looked like an old mine shaft leading in to a mountain after a rough landing. The plane hit the ground and took off again over six times before staying down for good. Taking there things from the back of the plane, they headed inside. The inside looked almost identical to the outside, there were old trucks that looked like they hadn't moved in twenty years, the walls looked like they would buckle if any more weight was put on them. John was forced to bypass the codes needed to turn on the power generator for the base and open the doors, finding it easy as the system had no protection as it was over twenty years old like the rest of the base. Stepping through the blast door's Cameron and John watched as the blast door slowly came back down. As it came down, the sunlight that shone through the open door at the other end of the base gradually became blocked out. John led the way down the long corridor, the sound of the blast door closing behind them echoed past them. They didn't say a word as they found an old elevator and used it to descend down in to the mountain. Once they got down in to the base, they both raised there guns hearing sounds coming from within.

Walking ahead, they found that the sounds were coming from the radios, attached to thirty year old computers. "Is anyone out there?, the missiles have been fired, someone respond". Similar calls for help were heard on all the other radios. John reached out for the nearest radio, but retracted his hand seconds later. Cameron watched him, knowing how he was feeling but also not having the faintest idea. "It's ironic". Cameron tilted her head to her side. "What is?". John looked up to the ceiling, a map of the Earth covered it. "We build those missiles, to protect ourselves, and now they are being used to destroy us, I can't do this". John fell to his knees, the whole weight of the world on his shoulders. In so little time, except Cameron, he had lost everyone and everything he cared about, and inside, it was killing him. Cameron, knelt down next to him, knowing exactly what she needed and wanted to say to him.

"You can do this, I know you can do this, you always thought you would be doing this alone, but your not alone, you've got me and I'll never leave you". John didn't resist as Cameron pulled him to his feet. Cameron took John's hand in to her own as he gave his first orders over the radio, to get underground. Cameron herself looked towards the ceiling ,seeing the map of the Earth. She thought of what John had told her, about it being ironic that Skynet users humanity's own weapons against them. They stood side by side and hand in hand as the radio's went silent one by one, the mountain around them shook slightly as the bombs fell. This was Judgement day, the day the Human race was almost destroyed by the weapons they build to protect themselves.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Everyone could see that the world had changed a lot in seven years. The once proud standing cities of the world were now nothing more but a heap of ruins, any structure that had been taller then three stories had been destroyed. Using backdoors to hack in to military systems, Skynet had launched mankind's own nuclear weapons against the world . In one day, half of the worlds human population had died in the fire, some three billion humans lives had vanished in an instant. The survivors at first, gave in to despair, as no survivor was lucky enough to not have lost someone close to them. The world it seemed was still as divided as ever, until they became united through fear.

Machines, created by Skynet, began taking over. They rounded up what people they could find, and forced them in to work camps, to build factory's to build more machines. The ones who couldn't work were moved in to slaughter houses for orderly disposal. Many people hid underground, hiding in sewers and bunkers. Many more fled in to open country, the forests and deserts, anywhere to escape the machines.

In LA, a large convoy, holding human prisoners was moving slowly over the ruins of a housing estate. The convoy was made up of three prisoner carriers, known among the humans as monkey wagons and an HK tank. The tank led the way, rolling over and crushing numerous human skulls that lay on the ground. Inside the monkey wagons, the humans were all sitting on the floor, most remained silent, others comforted those who cried. In the third and final wagon, everyone, like in the other wagons, sat silently on the floor, all except one man who stood by the only window, allowing light inside. He held himself up holding by holding on to the bars in the window. This mans name was John Connor.

It has been seven years since John hid in Crystal peck while the bombs fell and Skynet took over. If anyone who knew John before that day saw him, they would have to look twice to recognise him. He now had multiple scars on his face, one large one on his right cheek. He was also slightly taller then he used to be, and also more muscular and battle hardened after years of fighting. His green eyes were lit up as the sun hit them through the window as he watched the ruins pass from outside. Many things made John stand out from the other people with him. For one, he showed no fear as he was forced to get in to the wagon by the machines. Unknown to anyone, he had also allowed himself to be captured. John always knew that he had to spend the next six years in the work camp. It was at century, that he would meet and befriend Kyle Reese, his father.

He would also meet up with Martin Bedell, who will help him form the fighting force needed to fight back against the machines. As the convoy move, John noticed a young boy watching him from the crowd in the wagon. John looked over as the boy moved towards him, leaving his sleeping father behind him. The boy, who looked to be around only five years old, stood just under waist height to John. "What's that?". The boy, like John, didn't seem afraid of where they were. The boy was pointing to Johns left hand, to his third finger. Wrapped around his finger like a ring was a brown bit of string. "It's my ring". The boy, seemed fascinated by it. "It doesn't look like a ring, my dads ring looks different". John smiled, glad he found someone still had a sense of humour. "Mine might look different, but it was given to me by someone special, that's always better then a real ring". The boy smiled. "I'd still want a real ring". John again smiled. "If you can find me a shop that sells rings, then I'll get one". The boy looked confused suddenly. "What's a shop?".

John gave a small laugh before the wagon shook as it turned. The boy would have fallen over if John hadn't grabbed him. "You better go back to your dad". The boy muttered "okay", before running back to his dad, who had just woken up. Looking back out the window, John could see smoke coming from some large buildings, one the roof of the buildings, were terminator guards. Standing completely still, large guns instead of arms. For a brief moment, John could see a large construction site, hundreds of people were digging in to the ground. The wagon stopped outside another large building.

Everyone in the last wagon heard the first one open. Someone ordered the people inside to get out. A few screams were heard, along with gunshots. Panic and fear of the unknown spread quickly through the other wagons. It was the same with second wagon, some screams and gunshots. The doors on the last wagon opened and everyone stood up quickly, scared due to what they all heard. Standing there, was a man, flanked by four machines, all of which looked like the first design for a humanoid hunter killer. The machines all aimed at the humans in the wagon, who remained silent. The man stepped forwards, "Everyone out now, you have ten seconds before these shoot you". There was a large panic as everyone scrambled to get out of the wagon as fast as possible. John, who was already at the door when they stopped was one of the first ones out. John and the others joined a group of people who had gotten out of the first two wagons. The machines opened fire on those who didn't get out in time, killing twelve who were still in the wagon. John turned like the rest to the people who had just died. Among the dead was the young boy who had spoken to him and his father. The machines turned on the rest, just staring at the terrified group.

The man smiled as if pleased that an innocent boy had just been killed. One of the men in the group panicked. "I cant stay here, I'm going!". He tried to run for it, past the wagons. He didn't make it far before he war torn apart by the machines guns. The people around John began screaming, some also trying to run for it, others huddled together in fear. The ones who ran were quickly killed. John stepped up, not wanting to see more killed. "Everyone, don't move, if you try and run you die, just stay here!". Many members of the group looked at John as if he were mad, but none of them made a run for it. They quickly realised that John was telling the truth. The man leading the machines stepped forwards, facing John. "Welcome to Century, I'm the overseer of this camp". One man in the group muttered "Traitor", under his breath.

"As your friend here has already stated, trying to escape will get you killed so I'd advise everyone here to do as they are told. You're here to work, to build what Skynet tells you to build. If you don't work, you will be sent to the slaughter houses, if you cant work, you will be sent to the slaughter houses, and if your behind schedule with your work, you will be sent to the slaughter houses, understand?". Everyone but John nodded, thankfully no one noticed. The overseer went on. "You will now be taken to warehouse seventeen, which will be your home from this day onwards, you will be later assigned a work shift and you all start work tomorrow". The overseer then pointed to six people in the group, all men, including John. "You six will take these bodies to slaughter house three, you will then be escorted to the warehouse like the others". The overseer then walked through the group of humans and walked away. "Follow me".

All be the six chosen stayed behind while everyone else followed the overseer, three of the machines following them. The last machine stayed the looked at the six remaining. It pointed its at the wagon. "Move the bodies to this wagon". John and the other began the gruelling task of moving the bodies. John moved to the first wagon and looked inside. What he saw made almost made him sick. Inside were only five bodies, but two of them were children, haven't even reached the age of three. One of the bodies was just a baby. The other two were adults, seemingly having thrown themselves in front of the bullets to protect the children. Four of the men worked on the second wagon. The fifth man, seeing John alone, approached him. "Hey, you alright?". The man saw the bodies himself. He didn't say anything after that. "John climbed in to the wagon.

"It's not the first time I've seen this, its never get easier to see children like this, never". John held out his hand and helped the man in. "I know what you mean, thanks by the way, I was about to run before but when you told everyone to stop, I didn't moved, you saved my life, thank you". John tired to smile, but the site before him still hurt him. He simply nodded to the man. "What's you name by the way?". John looked up to the man for the first time, seeing his face. John didn't know why, but he seemed familiar. "My names Connor, John Connor". He held out his hand and the man took it. "Nice to meet you John, I'm Reese, Kyle Reese". John quickly backed off from him. Kyle Reese knelt down and separated the bodies from one another, making them easier to carry. John couldn't take his eyes off him. This was Kyle Reese, his father. He was a lot older then he was since he saw his playing baseball in a park when he was five. But this was him now, in his late teens, his father. Ever since the bombs fell, John knew he would have to spend six years in this work camp. He knew he would meet his father, who was younger then himself. Meeting his father was the only thing he looked forwards to since the bombs fell. "John, you goanna help me or what?".

John snapped out his trance. "Yeah, sorry". John helped Kyle carry the bodies to the last wagon. Neither tried to look at their faces as they carried them to the last wagon. Once the bodies were all loaded, the machine began closing the wagon door. John looked at the bodies as they disappeared slowly behind the door, he spotted the body of the young boy, his eyes wide open while the others were closed. "STOP!". He marched forwards quickly, stopping the machine from closing the door. The machine aimed its gun at his head. It didn't fire as it watched John close his eyes before stepping back. The machine lowered its gun and pushed John back before resuming the closing of the door. John rejoined the group, standing next to Kyle. "Why did you do that, it could have killed you?". For the first time since coming here, John smiled. "The machines are build to kill, they aren't build to be cruel".

All five of them stared at him. The all looked disbelieving, as if John was insane, considering that they had just killed children for being to slow. The machine closed the door of the wagon and the wagon moved along with the rest of the convoy deeper in to the camp. The third wagon broke off from the others and headed for the third building in the distance that had smoking chimneys on top of them, black smoke coming out of them. The machine turned to them and pointed down towards where the others had disappeared earlier. "Move".

Not need asking twice, John led the way, closely followed by Kyle, the four men and the machine. Turning a corner, they walked along what seemed to be a long street, on each side were warehouses, each with a large white painted number on them, the numbers getting higher the longer they walked. There weren't many people outside, the ones who were there just stared an the machine marched John and the others to warehouse seventeen. They stopped outside the door to warehouse seventeen. The door opened and a women stepped outside to greet them. "You better come inside, quickly, its nearly dark, and they kill on site when its dark". She looked at the machine which just stared back at her. John and the others headed inside, the women closing the door behind them, leaving the machine outside. "Are any of you related to each other?". She seemed hopeful but sighed when none of the answered them. John moved uncomfortably, as he was related to one of them, but knew he couldn't say anything on the subject.

Opening another door, she led them through. Inside the warehouse was what John could only describe as a shanty town. There were hundreds if not thousands of people cramped together, separating themselves with large bits of metal, which were made in to small houses. Some people had tents while others went without anything altogether. "Welcome home, follow me". The woman led the way through the town, stopping every now and then to tell on of the group that a certain spot was his home from now on. With just John and Kyle left, the woman came to a small makeshift house, inside was just enough room for two people to sleep.

"I hope you two don't mind but this is all we have left spare". Both John and Kyle looked inside, not an ounce of enthusiasm in their faces. John looked at the woman "It will do, thanks for your help". The women pointed towards a large metal door at the other end of the warehouse. "Once a day, after the work shift, the machines give us food, it isn't much but its better then nothing, you've both missed today's meal I'm afraid, you'll have to wait till tomorrow". The woman smiled and walked away, through the town. She quickly turned around and came back. "Be careful, the greys watch us on the cameras, don't try anything stupid".

She then left again, John looked up and saw dozens of cameras on the ceilings. Kyle did the same, "What the hell are greys?". John looked away from the cameras and stepped inside his new home. "Humans, working for Skynet". Kyle shook his head. "You'd think that we'd stick together with everything that's happened, but there's always some who think their better then others and side with the enemy". The woman who led them in shouted through the town. "Lights out, thirty seconds!". There was a hurry by everyone to get to their homes. Kyle and John watched with interest as people hurried past their house.

From their door, they could see much of the town as they were higher up from the rest, as if on a hill. The lights suddenly went out and the town was engulfed in darkness. Above them on a catwalk, spotlights were lit and shone down on the town. "We better get some sleep, don't know what will happen tomorrow". John nodded at Kyle's words and lay down next to him. They had only one blanket between them so they both agreed to share as it would be better then freezing to death. While Kyle fell asleep almost easily, John didn't fall to sleep for hours. He lay awake, running his fingers along the brown bit of string on his finger on his left hand, remembering the person who gave it to him. Tears silently fell down his cheeks as he did.

John had been asleep for only a couple of hours when he was shaken awake by Kyle. "What's wrong?". The woman was again back. "You two better come with me quickly". Kyle held out his hand and John took it and was pulled to his feet. The women led them through the town, quickly and quietly as everyone was still asleep. "Any idea what this is about". Kyle shook his head. The women led them to the front entrance, where everyone who had arrived in the convoy with them. The woman stopped as John and Kyle joined the group. "Right, I'm sorry for waking you all early, but its better that you're here now then later". She rolled up her sleeve and showed them all a tattoo on her arm, the same tattoo that John recognised as a Skynet work camp tattoo. Your to be given these, so Skynet can keep track of us, please don't fight it, the last time someone tried fighting back, the machines killed the entire group so just get it over and done with, okay". An alarm sounded and everyone was woken up, they all gradually dragged themselves to their feet.

The door behind them opened and one by one, everyone from the group was taken through the door. They could hear the screams of pain from each person before they retuned, all holding their arm where the tattoo now was. John went in next. Inside was a single machine. John walked towards it and held out his arm. The machine grabbed his arm and applied the tattoo. The pain was intense but John didn't scream out loud. Once finished, John looked at his tattoo, the serial number on it indicated that there were over a hundred thousand people in the work camp. John turned and left the room, once he was outside, everyone just stared at him, unsure how he was able not to scream in pain like the others. John ignored them and waited as Kyle and the rest were forced inside, one by one. After they got their tattoos, everyone left the warehouse and was marched to what seemed to be a factory in progress of being built. They were each given a different task and sent to work. John found himself and Kyle working together on building automatic machines to build other machines. John made sure he worked as slow as he could without drawing much attention, just like everyone else was doing. Kyle turned to him.

"Who's Cameron?". John looked up, not knowing how he would know her name. "What?". "Cameron, who is she, you talked in your sleep, woke me up, you kept saying her name". John looked towards the brown string on his finger before continuing on with his work. "Sorry I woke you, I didn't know I talked in my sleep". Kyle gave a small laugh. "No one does I guess, its just something that happens when your dreaming or something, so, who is she?". John didn't want to talk about Cameron but he also didn't want to lie to Kyle. Before he could answer, Kyle spoke again. "I know we've just met and that, if you don't want to talk about her, that's okay". John looked up at him. "Thanks, It's just hard, thinking about her, I miss her". Kyle nodded and continued with his work. "We all lost somebody, some close, some not". "Who did you loose?". John, despite not wanting to talk about Cameron, was enjoying the conversation with Kyle. "Both my parents died on Judgement day, my brother, Derek, took me underground when the bombs fell, I was hiding I the tunnels when they found me, the machines, my brother was out finding food for us, he's still out there somewhere". John tired to not look at Kyle when he mentioned his brother Derek.

John remembered how he was forced to shoot and kill him in the past, after he tried to kill him an Cameron. "He'll still be out there, he's looking for you". Kyle looked up. "How do you know?". "Lets just say I've got experience in that area". They didn't say anything more for a while. "John, yesterday, when we got here, you told that machine to stop and you looked it in the eyes, how can you do that, everyone I know wouldn't dare look them in the eyes". John didn't look up while Kyle waited for a reply. "I've been fighting these things for a long time, longer then most". An alarm went off and people around them began to get up and leave. John and Kyle didn't move till someone called over, "Works done for the day". John headed back with Kyle towards warehouse seventeen. The day had gone by quickly for John, though he couldn't tell Kyle who he was, he enjoyed talking with his father.

They got back to the warehouse and stood in the queue with everyone else for some food. The woman who led showed them where to sleep was in front of them. She kept muttering twenty six under her breath. John put his hand on her shoulder, making her jump. "Sorry, just wondering if your alright, you kept saying twenty six". The woman shrugged. "Twenty six of us didn't come back from today's shift". She tuned and moved to collect her food for the day. John looked at Kyle, who gave the same upset look. They sat together just outside their little house an ate was looked and tasted like rotten cabbage. The woman took a seat next to John. "Everyday, less of us come back from the factory, those who don't come back are replaced by others who are captured from outside". John watched as a group of seven men walked around the camp. Everyone they walked past, looked away from them, as if they were scared of them. "I'd avoid them if I were you". The woman had noticed him watching the group. "Who are they?".

The woman took a bite of her cabbage, nearly spitting it back out. "They do it every day, they take food from others, they attack anyone who stands up to them, the big one raped a young girl two weeks ago. She was so traumatised she couldn't work the next day, the machines sent her to the slaughter house". John felt an urge of fury at the men, as did Kyle. "The greys don't do anything, they just watch from their camera, they like watching us suffer". The men approached a large group of children. John and Kyle could hear what they were saying, but the children handed them their food, putting it in a box that was held out, before hiding. John tuned to see the woman had gone. Looking around he could see her running towards the men. She began shouting at them. "What do you think your doing, their just kids, give the food back". The men responded by laughing at her. One of them stepped forwards, by the way he was acting, he was the leader of the group. "You've come back for more have you, then lets have some fun".

He punched her in the face, throwing her to the ground. The men in the group laughed. John looked at Kyle who was thinking the same thing, they both got to their feet and ran towards the group. The ringleader positioned himself over the woman, he was holding her face in pain. He began tugging at her trousers, trying to pull them off her. "What are you fighting it for bitch, you know you want it". She continued to struggle beneath him. John and Kyle ran in to the group, catching the attention of everyone nearby. The ringleader looked up and saw John's boot as John kicked him hard in the face, breaking his nose. Kyle threw himself at the largest of the men, sending him to the floor. John fought two men at once, punching them both but receiving just as many in return. The woman who had been punched got up and saw what was happening.

She threw herself in to the fight, helping Kyle who was being beaten by the other members of the gang. A lot of the adults, seeing John and Kyle's heroic act, also joined in the fight, helping John, Kyle and the woman fight the thugs. The end result was John, Kyle and the woman ended up with some bruises and the seven thugs all lay on the floor, moaning in pain, The entire warehouse was silent and everyone was watching John, who had bent down and took the box of food from the ringleader. Don't you dare you bastard, that's my food". John looked back at the ringleader who had stood up. He pulled out a knife. " I said give it back". John put the box on the ground and stared at the man. "If you want it, come and get it". The man charged at John. The children watching screamed but they didn't need to. John easily disarmed the man of his knife before punching his to the floor again. John held out the knife to Kyle who took it. "I only got here yesterday. I was told what you've been doing, all of you and you will not harm anybody here again, you wont steal food, you wont touch anybody, you'll do nothing, understand?".

The ringleader stood up again. "Fuck you". He quickly turned to his gang. "Get up, we can take everyone here". They all got up but much to his surprise, they moved in to the crowd, disappearing from site in to the shanty town. "Get back here you cowards". When it was clear his gang wasn't coming back, he again turned to John. "You bastard, I'll kill you". He was stopped instantly when Kyle threw himself in front of John, holding the knife up at arms length. "Back off!". The woman also moved next to Kyle, shielding John. She was quickly followed by everyone else, the men, the women and children. The ringleader was furious, he tried to attack John through everyone but was quickly and easily thrown back on to the floor. He got up and with one last look at John, he spat on the ground and left, disappearing in the direction of the rest of the gang.

When he left, the children all jumped around, waving their arms in the air cheering. John picked up the box of food and went to the group of children who had their food stolen. John gave the food back, giving each an equal amount. The smiles on their faces was all John needed to cheer himself up. Once he finished he and Kyle headed back to finish their own meal. "Hey wait, what's your name?". John stopped and turned to see the woman he saved looking at him. Everyone again stopped what they were doing to listen. "John Connor". The woman smiled. "Thank you John Connor, and what about you?". She looked at Kyle. "Kyle Reese". The woman smiled again. "Thank you, thank you both". John and Kyle both headed back to the makeshift house. They sat and began to eat. They looked to each other and began the laugh. "Cant believe we did that". John couldn't argue, he had been here less then two days and he was already making a name for himself, and so was Kyle.

Over the next few weeks, John and Kyle's name was known by everyone in warehouse seventeen. Everyone looked up to them, the men, the women and the children. John also made sure to find out peoples birthdays and make sure it was celebrated. Derek had told him all those years ago that when you have something to celebrate then celebrate it. Because their were hundreds of people in the warehouse, there had only been one day with out a birthday to celebrate. When it came to group decisions, everyone looked to John, Kyle and Liz for answers. The woman who was attacked told them her name the day after they saved her, saying that John and Kyle were not just her heroes, but everyone's. After a tough work shift, in which they lost seven more people to the machines, six of them children, John, Kyle and Liz sat at their favourite spot, watching as seventeen people celebrated their birthdays, all together in a large party. "I spoke to someone from one of the other warehouses, they all know of you two". John and Kyle almost chocked on their food. "Really?, everyone?".

Liz nodded her head, chewing on her own food. She kept on looking to John's hands. John again was running his fingers around the brown string in his finger. "Who's the lucky girl?". Kyle shook his head. "Don't bother, he wont tell me, all I know is her names Cameron". Liz and Kyle grinned at each other. "My brother used to be obsessed with rings when he was young, he used to wear a different one a week, he stole my mums wedding ring once, my mum and dad were so mad". They all laughed. John turned to her. "I didn't know you had a brother". Liz smiled and looked down at the party below. "He still is my brother, we were separated, he's still out there, hiding somewhere, his name's William". John froze, thoughts running through his head. As Kyle and Liz talked about her brother. John thought of something he did before the war. He had saved two people, two teenagers from a machine, Elizabeth and William Anderson. Liz was a shorted name for Elizabeth. John turned to her. "Elizabeth Anderson and William Anderson, that's you and your brothers name?, isn't it".

Liz seemed stunned by his outburst. So did Kyle, who was watching them both. "Yes, how do you know my surname, I haven't told you, either of you". Kyle shrugged his shoulders, not having a clue either, they both looked to John. Looking again at the party below, John tried to find the right words. He looked at Liz, who looked concerned o how he knew her name. "Do you remember, before Judgement day, you and you brother were attacked, someone followed you, broke in to your house, tried to kill you both". Liz's eyes widened in complete astonishment. "It was you, you saved us, you drove him off, it was you". John nodded. Liz held her hand over her mouth, in complete shock. Kyle was just as confused as before. "Can somebody enlighten me please?". Liz told Kyle what happened all those years ago, Kyle was just as stunned as she was.

"What a coincidence, you two meet then and then you meet now". John shook his head. "It wasn't a coincidence, I don't know when I should tell you what I'm about to, but I'm going to anyways". John looked around them, making sure they were alone. John knew the greys were focusing on the party below. "The man that tried to kill you and your brother wasn't a man, it was one of them, a machine". Liz just stared at him, Kyle gave out a small laugh before seeing that John was serious. "How could he have been a machine, he was human and it happened before the bombs fell". John again shook his head. He took a long deep breath. "No, it was a machine, send back through time by Skynet to kill anyone who is a threat, you and your brother are threats to it, I stopped it from killing you both". Kyle again gave a small laugh before the look on John's face stopped him.

"I though time travel was just something in science fiction". Both Liz and Kyle were listening with all their might. "At the minutes, it is, but soon it wont be". Kyle again spoke, "What do you mean by anyone who is a threat to Skynet?, no offence to Liz, but she isn't exactly a threat". Liz gave him a meaningful look. "That's because she hasn't done anything yet". Kyle and Liz stared at each other, confused. "John, ever since we met, you've acted differently to everyone else, everyone is scared of the machines, but your not". John nodded. "That's because Skynet has been trying to kill me ever since I was born". Liz and Kyle were again confused. "Skynet's killing us off now John, why would it try to kill you in the past, what do you do to Skynet?". John frowned. "In six years, I'm going to lead a break out from hear, then I'm forming us all in to an army and I'm fighting back". John waited and waited for both of them to laugh but they didn't. He looked from one to the other, waiting for a response. "Why six years?, cant we break out now".

John was shocked at this, he looked next to Liz. "You have the support of everyone in here, everyone else in the camp has heard of you, if they hear your going to break out, they would all follow you". John could now smile freely. He next told them both everything he could. He told them about how his mother raised him to fight, how they tried to prevent Judgement day. He also told them what was going to happen, all about the war to come. He was careful to leave some details out, he didn't tell them who his father was an he didn't tell them about Cameron, though it hurt him deeply to not speak of her. When he finished, Liz and Kyle both looked at him with great admiration. Liz spoke first. "No one has ever been able to fight back against these things, but I think with what you've said, we can fight back, we will fight back". Kyle nodded in agreement before he stood up to attention.

"We need to spread the word, of Sarah Connor and John Connor, what they have done for us and what needs to happen". Before John could reply, Kyle left and headed down to the party. He called together some people and began talking. "I'll do the same, spread the word". John stood up with her. "Liz, tomorrow, I need you to ask around the other warehouses, ask for Martin Bedell, we need him". Liz nodded before leaving to join Kyle at the party. Already, as Kyle spoke, people were staring up at him, pride in their faces. John knew he was giving them all hope, hope for the future, that this wasn't the end for them all, that they would fight and fight and fight, until the win or die.

Within hours, everyone in warehouse seventeen had heard the legend of Sarah and John Connor. They were all careful not to talk about it next to a machine or so the greys could hear them. Within days, the legend spread to all the other warehouses. John, during the work shifts, avoided the gazes as the machines watched their factory being built. Liz, pretending to bring him some tools, approached John. "I've found him, he's in warehouse twenty three, he says he knows a way to avoid the cameras, he can sneak in to us". John nodded, "Okay, good work". At the end of the shift, everyone in warehouse seventeen celebrated as it was the first time they didn't loose a single person during a shift. As John sat in the middle of the party, Liz again approached him again. "He's here, he's at the hill". John and Liz found Kyle and the three headed for the hill. The hill I what they had nicknamed their spot, overlooking the shanty town. When they got to the hill, Martin Bedell stepped out from their house. He stood to attention and saluted to John. John gave a quick salute back.

"Better not do that here, we don't want to be caught". Martin just smiled before holding his hand out to John who took it. "I've been waiting a long time to see you again, I thought you might have died on Judgement day, but I'm really glad you're here". John smiled at him. "It was a close run thing but I'm still alive". They all took a seat on the hill. "We heard of the legend of Sarah and John Connor, the moment I heard it, I knew you were somewhere here". The four of them talked on what they had to do. It was eventually decided that they would lay low for a while before planning their breakout. It was almost lights out when Martin had to get back to his own warehouse. "Connor, when we get out, we will all fight for you, for you and for Sarah Connor". He again saluted John before disappearing through the town and out the warehouse. "The one thing I don't like is the saluting, I hope everyone doesn't do it". Kyle and Liz both saluted John, large grins on their faces. Laughing, he and Liz sat down and watched as the party began breaking up, everyone heading back to their homes. Kyle left them to help some of the orphans back to their house.

John found himself running his fingers again running over the brown string around his finger. Liz watched him as John focussed on the string. "John, it would help if you talked about her, about Cameron, tell me about her, what was she like?". John, shed a tear from his eye, as the weeks had gone by, he became more hurt with Cameron not being with him. He missed her more then anything. "She's beautiful, when I first met her, I couldn't believe someone like her would be interested in someone like me. Her eyes are chocolate brown and her hair is just like it. She loved it when I ran my fingers through her hair, it helped her sleep. She has a small round mole by her left eye brow, it makes he look cute. What I liked most was her smile, I loved that smile of hers, every time she smiled, it was like seeing a whole new her. She always knows how to make me laugh, cheer me up, she is why I'm going to fight, She is why I'm going to get everyone out of here. Because I love her. I've loved her ever since saw her. The best day of my life was when I married her. Before then, I had never seen her so happy. She's out there, and when we get out, I'm going to find her and I'm never going to leave her again". Tears were falling quickly down his cheeks as he talked about Cameron. Liz put her hand on his shoulder. She was lost for words as John pored his heart out. She gave him a reassuring smile before leaving as the lights went out.

The next couple of days was hard for everyone. The greys eventually picked up on the Sarah Connor and John Connor legend. They demanded to know who Sarah and John Connor were, where they were and what they had planned. Not one person gave John away, they all kept their mouths shut. Even after hours of torture, most still refused to talk. They willingly chose death instead of giving John up, something John would never forgive himself for, nor would he forget. The machines changed tactics, when they greys asked someone for information and that someone refused, the machines kill them. Twenty five refused to talk before they came to a child. Only then someone did speak up. The machines heard the legend but refused to say any more, which quickly resulted in his death The greys and the machines began looking for John. Their aim was to kill him before the legend inspired a rebellion.

If their was a rebellion, Skynet would have all the greys killed and replaced. John regrettably was forced to stop calling himself John Connor again and instead called himself John Baum again. The work shifts were greatly increased, pushing everyone to the limits. Hundreds were dying as they were worked to death everyday. They finished the factory they were building, which immediately began building machines. John and the others watched as large HK tank's and Aerial's being build. Also a newer machine was build, at first glance, John thought they were T triple eight before seeing them to be less advanced. Despite being less advanced, these new machines were stronger, larger and used more brutal tactics when dealing with humans, killing hundreds and capturing thousands to be brought to the camp.

"If they keep working us like this, we'll all be dead by the end of the month". Kyle had said this after a long work shift. John knew all to well what his mother said Kyle had told her when he protected her. He had said that they were so close to going out forever, humans were close to extinction. Looking around, John didn't think anyone could live to the end of the month, let alone five more years. Like everyone else, Liz began to suffer due to the workload. The machines began forcing them to dig in to the ground. Once they got a certain distance down, they were ordered to fill the hole again. Then they were forced to start over, being told that if they did the job slower then before, they would all be killed on the spot. John sat alone on the hill, both Liz and Kyle had been forced to go to the slaughter houses to load bodies. As John ate his food, he noticed he was being watched. He had gotten used to this as the rumours of him spread and that the greys were keeping an extra eye on them all. Looking behind him, he noticed a young girl he hadn't seen before watching him.

She continued to stair at him as he ate some more food. He held out his bowl to her. "Do you want some?, you can have it if you want". The girl hesitated before stepping out and walking slowly over to him. As she got closer, John was able to see her clearly. She looked no older the six or seven and had bright blue eyes. Her brown hair reminded him a lot of Cameron. She took to food and sat down next to him, eating to food quickly as of she had never eaten in a long time. He finished and handed John the empty bowl. She just looked at him as if fascinated by him. John watched as she took out a photograph from her pocket. She stared at the picture in her hand sand then to John. She then looked again at the picture. She did this a few times before she handed the picture to him. John, confused, looked at the picture. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw himself in the picture. He was sitting on a couch next to Cameron. In her arms was Allison, Kacy's daughter. John, thunderstruck, turned to face the girl. "Allison?". She nodded and smiled. "You look different from your picture, you have cuts on you face". John smiled before looking back at the picture, he focussed on Cameron. He smiled at seeing her happy face at holding the baby.

He again turned to her. "Where did you get this?". Allison lowered her head. "My mommy gave it to me, she said to find you, she said you would look after me". John's eyes widened. "Where is your mom". Allison's head dropped lower. "She went to sleep, she wouldn't wake up, I tried to wake my mommy up, but she didn't. Then the metal men came, they chased me, they wouldn't leave me alone, they brought me here". John reached over to her left arm. He rolled up her sleeve and saw Skynet's tattoo, fresh on her arm. She looked away from john, ashamed at what they had done to her. John rolled up his own sleeve and showed her his. She looked at his before rubbing her fingers over the tattoo. "Does yours still hurt?, mine still hurts". John shook his head, "No, mine doesn't hurt, it stops hurting after a while". She seemed a little happier knowing it wouldn't hurt for long. John, with one last look at the picture, handed it back to her. She folded it back up and put it in her pocket. "My mommy said you would look after me, will you look after me?". John, who hadn't expected Allison to service Judgement day, was just as unprepared to look after her as he was to leading a war.

The hopeful look in her eyes as she waited for his reply made sure John gave the right answer. "Yes, I'll look after you". John was nearly thrown on to his back when she jumped up and hugged him. "Thanks you, thank you, thank you". She just kept repeating those words until she was tired. John, with his back against the wall, had Allison sitting on his lap and she fell asleep. As she slept, John took the photograph from her pocket again. He opened it up, looking at the face of Cameron. He tired looking away as seeing her face hurt him as he missed her so much, but he found himself unable to look away. He was fixed on how beautiful she was. It wasn't until Kyle tapped him on the head that he looked away. "John, who's this?". John looked up, Kyle was back from the slaughter houses. He looked like he was close to passing out. He sat down opposite John, looking at Allison. "Who's she?".

John moved his hand to signal Kyle not to talk so loud as Allison stirred in her sleep. John held out the picture to Kyle, who took it. "This is you?, and that's Cameron?". John nodded his head. Kyle looked again at the picture, he shook his head in disbelief. "And, the baby, is that her?". He nodded at Allison, and John again nodded. "He names Allison, she was born just before Judgement day, her moms died an she found me, gave me this picture". As John spoke, Liz turned up, half dragging herself up towards them. Liz looked at Allison with surprise, before taking the picture from Kyle as her handed it to her. Her face broke in to a wide smile. "You were right, she is beautiful, and you looked better without the scar". John frowned as Kyle laughed.

John found it more bearable to live in the camp with Allison. Looking after someone, a child was something John had never thought about. Also, because he had married someone who couldn't have children, John never expected to be in this situation. He found looking after her day after day to not be as tough as he thought it would be. Though she was small, she was tough, and she kept John going in the next few weeks. It wasn't long before Allison started calling him dad, which took John a while to get used to. John himself, quickly took on a father role to her, telling her stories to help her sleep at night. He also began teaching her to speck Spanish and then told her the story of the Wizard of OZ, like his mother did to him when he was young. John quickly noticed that when he talked about Sarah to Allison, Kyle went strangely quiet. Even Liz commented on how well he was looking after her, finding it funny when Allison started called her Auntie Liz.

As the weeks went on, life became more brutal at the camp. The machines began marching people in to the slaughter houses in their hundreds as more and more people were captured from outside. John managed to hide over two hundred children in an old basement that they found beneath the warehouse, taking huge risks to keep the children hidden. As news of John's actions spread through out the camp, people were inspired to try and lead a breakout in his name. One such attempt ended with the execution of all those involved and eight hundred bystanders as a warning to others.

Warehouse seventeen was called in to repair the damage to the factory when an HK Aerial malfunctioned and destroyed itself. John got an idea to dig a tunnel between their warehouse to the factory so they can steal weapons. As Skynet didn't have cameras in the factory, it was a perfect opportunity. The tunnel was dug within days, much to John's surprise. Once the factory was up an running again, John began stealing weapons for use for the breakout. He made sure not to take too much at once, to not attract attention. During the explosion of the factory, one of the machines guarding the camp was damaged and buried in the rubble. John shocked everyone by removing the machines chip with extreme ease. Using the machines body, John, with Martin Bedell's help, began teaching as many as possible on how to destroy these machines, pointing out their weak spots, their eyes, and their circuits on the back of their heads, which were not covered like they were in later models, like the T triple eights.

After a year in the camp, John found himself more comfortable in a leadership role. For the first time, he was able to see them breaking out of the camp, fighting back against the machines. He also found it ironic that Skynet destroyed the world with their weapons, and he was going to break out of century using their weapons. He was going to do it, he was going to lead everyone out of here, he was going to fight and he was going to win the war, no matter what. More importantly, he was going to do it for Allison, who he now considers his daughter and he was going to do it for Cameron, his wife, who he missed more then anything in the world.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_John found himself standing alone on a large hill, overlooking the sea. Looking towards the sky, he found it to be completely clear, not a cloud in sight. John knew at once that he was dreaming, he knew he was asleep in century work camp, lying next to his sleeping daughter Allison, who every night, huddled up to him for warmth. John knew he was dreaming because there was no such thing as a clear sky anymore in the real world. Their hadn't been a clear sky since before Judgement day. John looked down towards the sea below. _

_His eyes followed the coast line, a large beach full of people could be seen below. Before he could move, someone walked right through him. Looking own, he saw a small child. The child turned around and called for his mother, who also walked through John, as I he wasn't there. The child was excited to see the beach. His mother took the boy down a small path towards the beach. John, not knowing where to go, followed them. As he went, he saw other people heading towards the beach.. They were all families, parents taking their children to the beach on a nice day. _

_John followed the people to the beach. They all went in different directions, the children running towards the sea while the parents set down blankets and setting up beach umbrellas to keep out the sun. John walked along the beach, watching as the children played in the sand, building sandcastles. John kept walking along the beach, until he spotted something he didn't expect to see. He saw his daughter Allison, with a bucket and spade, building a sandcastle. Sitting next to her with his own spade, was a young boy, little older then two years old. Allison laughed with the young boy as he knocked down some of the castle with his spade. "Now, you've got to build it again, get some more sand!". _

_The boy clapped his hands together in excitement. He began eagerly using his spade to put sand in to Allison's bucket. Half of the time he missed the bucket altogether. Once the bucket was full, Allison tipped the bucket upside down. She lifted it up, leaving a pile of san in the shape of a castle tower. John knelt down opposite the two, neither of them looked up at him, John guessed they couldn't see him either. Something about the boy caught his eye. His hair was the same shade of browns that John's was. His eyes on the other hand, were brown, and not just any kind of brown, they were a chocolate brown. Allison took a small flag from the sand behind her. She carefully placed it on the top of the tallest tower. Allison smiled at the boy clapped his hands and began laughing, happy at their achievement. "Come on, lets go get mom and dad, they can see our castle". Allison stood up and took the boys hand, leading him away from their castle. The boy swung his spade threw the air, as if it was a small sword. _

_John followed the two as they made their way around other families towards a tent with two beach chairs in front of it. John could see the outline of two people sitting in the chairs. Allison struggled to walk fast as the boy kept stumbling on the uneven sand. John walked past the pair as the boy fell over and Allison helped him back up again. John made his way towards the chairs. To his complete shock, John was looking at another version of himself, sitting in one of the chairs. In the other chair was Cameron, who also to his shock, was heavily pregnant. "I think its another boy, has to be, he kicks like his brother did". Cameron continuity rubbed her hands across her stomach, a large smile on her face. "Wait, he's kicking now, here!". Cameron took the other John's hand and held it to her stomach, both smiled as the baby kicked. "It can't be a boy, its lying differently, its definitely a girl". The other John removed his hand from her stomach and held Cameron's hand. "We're going to have to wait and see then aren't we?, if it's a boy, then your doing the dishes for a year, if it's a girl, your still doing the dishes for a year". _

_John laughed as the other John and Cameron turned their gaze to their son and Allison. The boy ran for John, who picked him up and sat him on his lap. He kept swinging his spade with a huge smile on his face. "We've build a castle finally, he kept knocking it down so we had to start over, you wanna come see it?". The other John stood up, still holding his son. "Okay Allison, lead the way, Cameron, you coming?". Cameron pulled herself out of the chair, holding her lower back in pain. "I'll catch you three up, go on". Allison led the way back towards their sandcastle, the other John carrying his laughing son on his shoulders. Cameron stopped rubbing her back and rubbed her baby bump. "Your going to have to stop kicking like that, it hurts you know". She smiled at herself and walked slowly after the others. John didn't follow her. In his mind, this is what he and Cameron had wanted if Judgement day hadn't of happened, a family of their own. He didn't want to follow them and watch, as it hurt him in his heart that he and Cameron couldn't have a family of their own._

_The beach went quiet suddenly. John looked around and saw the entire beach was empty. He headed towards where Allison and her brother had build the sandcastle but found nothing except a flag, half buried in the sand. "John!". Turning on the spot, he found himself face to face with his Cameron. Her skin was a very unhealthy white colour, she looked like she was very ill. "John, you need to break out soon, if you don't, they will find me". John took a step forwards, but as he did, she took a step back.. "Who will find you?". Cameron began taking multiple steps back, away from him. "I can't wake up, only you can wake me up, I need you John, I love you". She began to fade. "John!, JOHN!, HELP ME JOHN, HELP ME!". She screamed in desperation as she disappeared. "CAMERON!", he shouted her name but to no avail, she was now gone. In the distance, John could hear another voice calling out. He listened hard to find out what the voice was saying. "Dad!". He could hear that word getting louder and louder, until he was thrown out of his dream._

"Dad!, wake up". John opened his eyes, and sat up quickly and unintentionally, right in to the arms of Allison. "Dad, its okay, it was just another dream". John's breathing was erratic, he was having trouble controlling it. "It was her again, it was mom wasn't it?". John didn't answer till he was able to breach normally again. "It was a little different, we were at the beach this time, but she still cried for help. Its getting worse, she sounds more frightened every night". Allison moved away from John, wiping the sweat off his forehead with her sleeve. "It was just a dream dad, it will go away eventually, they always do". John shook his head. "They always come back, worse every time, Is it time to get up already?". Allison sighed loudly. "No, we've still got about an hour, you kept saying her name, woke me up". John moved himself, learning against the back wall, stretching his arms outwards. "I'm sorry, you know I don't do it on purpose".

Allison smiled sweetly and sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I know you don't dad, you miss her, but it wouldn't hurt to miss her quietly once and a while, especially when I'm asleep". John was able to laugh a little as she closed her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her and she fell back to sleep instantly. John laughed again at Allison. He didn't know how she did it, but she was able to go to sleep as soon as she closed her eyes, unlike him, she never had problems falling to sleep. He moved his blanket to cover them both, but made sure she had more then he did. Allison had changed a lot from the seven year old she once was. She was now a thirteen year old teenager, who spend more time looking after John then he did to her.

Allison was headstrong, refused to back down in an argument and was able to read John like a book, able to predict what he was going to say and do, much to his amusement and annoyance. She reminded John a lot of his mother and even more of Cameron, which gave him a sense of pride when watching her grow. She had now grown twice her height and was now at John's shoulders when she stood up straight. Her hair which was once completely brown was now fast becoming a mixture of light brown and blond. The only thing that had physically stayed the same was her eyes, which still remained a bright blue.

John didn't even bother trying to get back to sleep, he instead went over the dream he had in his head. He had had similar dreams to it, all ending with Cameron calling for help and him calling her name. He was woken up by Allison every time as he said her name out loud and shook violently. This dream was different from the others because it showed him and Cameron together and having a family. John remembered before he was brought to century, he remembered countless nights when Cameron would cry herself to sleep in his arms, the desire to be a mother one day but never being able too be one getting to her as time went on. It didn't matter how many times they talked to each other about it, she would still cry herself to sleep some nights. She never, not once turned away from John when she did cry, she always held on to him, allowing John to comfort her until she did fall asleep.

John, even if he tried knew he couldn't get back to sleep as today was an important one. Today was the planned day for their breakout. Everything was now in place. They had stolen enough weapons and build some of their own to fight their way out. Explosives were set in certain places to cause maximum damage and confusion to the machines guarding them. As the years went on, John was able to get hold of a radio, and was then able to contact people in hiding outside of the camp. One of the people he managed to contact was Liz's brother, William Anderson. They had arranged for William to set up fireworks somewhere to the south of the camp.

He would set them off to lead everyone who escaped in to the tunnels there, which lead in to the underground tunnels William and the men with him had dug. They led to a large bunker beneath Beverly hills which is where they all agreed would be where John would lead the resistance against Skynet. On John's orders, William had recruited hundreds of people to build the base and tunnels. He also raided the old US military bases, which were all now just ruins, for weapons, vehicles and explosives. William, also on John's orders, had hidden these in the base, making sure he wasn't notice by the machines. John thought it impossible that the machines or the greys didn't notice that they were stocking weapons and setting explosives in the camp. John could only guess that some of the greys had noticed, just not saying anything out of fear of being killed by the machines they work for because of their failure to stop John from stealing the weapons in the first place.

It had been just over six years since John came to the camp. It had been just over six years since he met his father and just over six years since he had met Allison, his adopted daughter. As time went on, it became obvious that the machines had little need for anyone to work at the camp anymore since their factory was build. It became a common occurrence for the machines to round up hundreds and march them to the slaughter houses. The greys made sure everyone in the camp could hear the terrified screams of the people as the machines opened fire and killed everyone in a matter of minutes. Allison cried herself to sleep for weeks after hearing the screams for the first time. Skynet also used the camp to experiment on people, fining out what the best ways were to kill humans. The machines experimented with many methods, including shooting, stabbing and gassing. It didn't matter what methods they used, the results were same, everyone used in the experiments died. Their screams could be heard for miles outside the camp.

As John sat their, an hour went by without him noticing. The alarm went off and everyone began getting up. Usually, when everyone in warehouse seventeen awoke, they all moaned and groaned. But today, not one person, man, woman or child made any sound of annoyance. Everyone was both excited and scared about what was going to happen. The possibility of being out of the camp sounded like paradise to most, especially the children. But also, the possibility that the plan won't work, that they would all be killed for trying, brought fear to everyone, including John. Even he didn't know if they would succeed or not.

He made a move to wake Allison, "Five more minutes". John grinned, Allison had said that every morning since adopting her. He got up , putting the blanket back over Allison, who carried on sleeping. Stretching his arms, he stepped out of his little house and on to the hill. John watched as people began getting out of their own houses, dragging their feet along the ground to get some food. Liz appeared behind him and handed him a box of food, enough for himself and Allison. "Is she still asleep?". John nodded before taking some off the food and eating it. "I had another dream, I woke her up again, I hate waking her up, its not fair on her". Liz put her hand on his shoulder.

"She refuses to sleep anywhere without you, she kept sneaking out of my house and back to yours. Don't feel bad about it John, its not your fault your dreams are bad". John didn't feel much better about it. He gave the side of his house a firm kick. "Allison, get up or I'm eating your food". Both him and Liz smirked as they heard Allison, moaning while getting up. She appeared at the door of the house, looking less then pleased. "You know dad, if I wasn't starving, you'd be welcome to eat that stuff for me anyway, and I'd have a rat burger instead". Liz laughed as Allison took to box from John and began eating.

John and Liz looked around confused as the whole warehouse began to shake. Everyone stopped what they were doing and look around at the shaking walls, dust being thrown off them. John moved quickly back to the house, taking a radio that was hidden in the corner. He turned it on and held it up. "Kyle, what's going on, can you see anything?". After a couple of seconds, Kyle responded. "I'm in the tunnels, I can't see anything from here". John looked up as the catwalk above them began to shake violently. "Bedell, what about you?" Bedell's voice was full of concern. "You better check yourself Connor, outside the warehouses, heading for number seventeen". Liz and Allison followed as John ran towards the wall near the warehouse doors were. He opened a small hole which he had made years ago and looked outside. Two HK tanks were moving towards the warehouse, along with hundreds of T1s and other machines. HK aerials took formation above them. John watched as they stopped outside his warehouse and turned to look at it. The machines aimed their weapons at the warehouse and remained still. Liz moved behind John and peered out also. "What the hell are they doing?". John shook his head. "I don't know, something's not right".

Bedell spoke on the radio again. "Connor, I can see the overseer, he's on his way". John looked to the side and saw the overseer, flanked by two machines, marching forwards. John held up the radio. "I see him, we might have to do things early, get everyone ready now". Bedell replied with pride in his voice. "Yes, sir". John looked around behind him. Everyone that was left in the warehouse was looking at him, waiting for instructions. Before he could say a word, the overseer, using a microphone, called out to the warehouse. "John Connor!, surrender yourself now and no one else will be harmed". John froze, it couldn't just be a coincidence that the machines would try and take him the day they were breaking out. "You have one minute to step outside, if you don't, you and everyone else in that warehouse will die, including your daughter". John looked straight at Allison, seeing the fear in her eyes. He wasn't going to let Allison die, he would die first. "Get to the tunnels now, all of you, we're getting out of here now". Everyone moved quickly, John had no intension of surrendering himself to the machines. He first made sure that everyone got in to the tunnels before he did, the children went first followed by the adults.

Allison pulled John aside as Liz lowered herself in to the tunnel. "How does he know about me dad, he said your daughter, I'm your daughter". "Allison, I promise I won't let him touch you, he's not getting anywhere near you, I'll make sure of it". Allison threw her arms around him, just as the overseer said, "Thirty seconds, surrender yourself or the warehouse will burn, will everyone in it". John and Allison moved to the hole to the tunnel. John grabbed her arms and lowered her down. He looked around the warehouse one last time, after all, it had been home for the last six years. He jumped down the hole, landing right next to Allison. "Lets go". John led Allison, Liz and the others threw the tunnels beneath the camp they had build, stopping under Bedell's warehouse.

John turned to Liz. "Lead everyone to the meeting point, get ready to run as soon as the slaughter house blows, okay". Liz nodded, picking up a young girl as she did. John turned to Allison. "You go with Liz, okay, I'll see you later". "No dad, I'm going with you". "No , your not, your going with Liz, I need you to look after everyone for me, okay". She opened her mouth to argue but John pulled her in to a hug. "Don't argue please, just do as I say, look after the kids, look after Liz". John gave Liz a long look. She nodded, saying that she would look after Allison for him with out saying a word. He turned on the spot and left Allison with Liz. "Everyone, follow me, come one kids, lets go, this way". As John climbed out of the tunnel, he felt a huge surge of pride for his daughter, listening as she and Liz got the kids to follow them. Bedell held his hand out to John and John took it. Bedell saluted John, who rolled his eyes. "Quit with the salutes Bedell, I can't stand them". "Sorry sir, you better come and see".

John followed Bedell to the wall of his own warehouse, many people were gazing at the two of them as they walked. "Its past the deadline, I guess he does really want you to go out and give yourself up". John peered out the gap in the wall and could see just past one of the HK tanks, the overseer was still waiting for John to leave the warehouse. He looked frustrated at John's refusal to come out. "JOHN CONNOR, LAST CHANCE, COME OUT AND SURRENDER!". John could hear the sniggering of everyone behind him. He turned to Bedell. "He looks a little pissed, you think I should show myself". John moved aside to let Bedell see outside. "Best not, he might faint". Bedell stepped backwards to allow John to see again. John held the radio up. "Kyle?, is the factory ready?". Kyle responded seconds later. "I'm in the tunnels, just give the word and we've got a firework show".

John lowed the radio and again look outside. "Fine, then you will die with all the rest, FIRE!". All the machines opened fire with deafening noise, with both bullets and rockets. The front of warehouse seventeen disappeared under the barrage, quickly followed by the back wall. The roof collapsed and the other walls buckled under the weight. Once the machines finished, warehouse seventeen no longer existed. Probably one of the only things John admired about the machines were how effective they were, it was if warehouse seventeen had never been standing when they had finished. The overseer looked pleased with the results but his grin was quickly replaced with a concern, most likely due to the lack of screams. "Bedell, ready to blow the tanks?". Bedell moved away from John, muttering "Way ahead of you", as he went. He began muttering in to his radio.

John did the same in to his. "Kyle, standby to start the firework show". John waited for Bedell, who eventually looked at John. "Ready when you are , sir". John gave a nod and seconds later, the two HK tanks exploded causing the front of Bedell's warehouse to shake violently. John watched as the overseer ran for his life away from the explosions. An HK aerial, which was hovering above on of the tanks, exploded as well, crashing down on top and crushing most of the machines that had destroyed the warehouse. "KYLE, BLOW THE FACTORY!". Another almighty explosion was heard, again causing the warehouse to shake. John, held the radio up again. "Everyone, time to get out of here".

Over the sounds of the burning wreckage of the machine's in front of the warehouse, John could hear the screams of people charging out of the other warehouses and the tunnels and the firing of weapons, from booth them and the machines. Bedell, threw John a shotgun and charged out with the rest of the warehouse. John followed and was quickly flanked by well over twenty people, making sure he was shielded from the machines. In the distance, John could see the remains of the factory they had been forced to build six years ago. He was glad to see the flames coming from it as it lit up the early mourning sky. John could also see the lights coming from the guns being fired by both human and machine. John knew that the was to come, the resistance would be outnumbered, but right now, they had numbers on their side, Skynet didn't have an army guarding them, just a coupe hundred machines, which were being overwhelmed by the barrage of bullets. "Everyone, to the slaughter houses, now". Hundreds of people ran like they never had before, towards the slaughter houses. John with them. John could see in the eyes of everyone around him that they were free, even if they weren't out of the camp yet.

His heart did a summersault when he saw small black dots in the air, heading towards them quickly. "Drones, up high, fire!". Everyone looked up as the drones descended. Everyone aimed up and fired while still running. All the drones were torn to shreds by the barrage and fell towards the ground in pieces. More drones attempted the same tactic but met with the same fate, falling to the ground in pieces. Seeing machine after machine fall under their attacks gave everyone confidence. They all yelled out in triumph after each machine fell. As John moved forwards, a T1 came out from the shadows and aimed at him. Before he could react, three of his solders threw themselves in front of him, taking the barrage of bullets to keep him alive. Bedell, who had doubled back, quickly destroyed the T1 along with other solders. Bedell, helped John to his feet. John looked down at the bodies of those who had just gave their lives for his. "Connor, move, now!". John said, "Thank you", under his breath before following Bedell along the path.

Along the way, they destroyed another wave of drones before they got close enough to fire. John reached the slaughter houses and found Kyle standing guard with hundreds of people, waiting for him. John walked up to him held out his hand, Kyle shook it. "Good to see you, the bombs are set, just press this and the back wall goes. He held a detonator out to John and he took it from him. Pressing the button, the slaughter house behind them exploded, blowing apart the exterior wall of the camp. Once the dust cleared, John could see a clear path to the outside world. John marched with everyone to the border to the camp, and waited. Seconds later, they could all see the green and red sparks of fireworks in the distance. "There's the signal, everyone, RUN!, RUN FOR IT!". John was almost rendered deaf by the huge roar of relief and excitement from everyone as they charged down the small hill, out of the camp.

John stayed behind and watched as the men grabbed the children, carrying them to safety. John, Bedell and Kyle and a handful of solders moved back in to the camp, covering those running for freedom. People were still coming out of the tunnels, most of them children. Some however, came out covered in blood, including Liz. John ran forwards, grabbing Liz as she fell to the floor. "Liz, what happened?". She had a large cut on her head, it looked like she had been hit by something hard. "Tunnel collapsed, I lost Allison, I'm sorry John, I lost her, she's still in there somewhere". John's eyes widened in horror. He stood up and looked around.

The flow of people stopped coming out of the tunnels, Allison wasn't among them. "Connor, we've got to go, we can't stay here!". Bedell tried dragging John towards the exit but John threw his arms off him. "I'm not going, not with out Allison". Kyle appeared in front of John. "I know you love her John, but if you go after her, you wont come back, more machines are on the way, if we don't go now, we are all dead". John was torn, he knew it was his destiny to lead the resistance, to fight Skynet., but he had a daughter, someone he's spend the last six years raising. Kyle had given him a choice, Allison, or everyone else. To John, the choice was easy. Pushing Kyle out of the way, John ran as fast as he could away from their escape, back in to the camp. He could hear Kyle, Bedell and the solders calling after him to come back and leave the camp with them but he didn't care, he was getting his daughter out of here, or die trying.

Heading through the tunnel Liz came out of, he made his way through, quickly finding the tunnel which had collapsed. Half buried in the dirt was a woman and a child, both crushed by the rocks on top of them. Bedell was still on the radio, trying to convince John to come back. "Connor, more machines are coming through the camp, come back now". John, ignoring his words, turned around and followed the tunnel. He had helped dig the tunnels so he knew the way to go to get to the other side of the cave in. He couldn't hear anything anymore as he ran, his mind focused on nothing but getting to Allison. He quickly found the other end of the cave in, right beneath the warehouse closest to the slaughter houses. He climbed out of the tunnel in to the warehouse. Standing up, he headed out of the house the tunnel entrance was hidden . Looking around, he felt a surge of both relief and horror. The overseer was there, holding a gun to Allison's head. Allison was on her knees in front of him. Next to her were the bodies of three children, all had gunshot wounds to their heads. Allison herself had blood flowing down her face from a large cut on her forehead. The overseer, pressed the gun to her head as John came in to view.

"Drop the shit, or I'll kill her now". John had little choice, the overseer had John at a disadvantage so he dropped his gun, tossing it to the side. "I thought if I kept her alive, you would turn up to try and save her, Connor!". John thought he looked worse then he already did. He had a black eye, his nose was broken and he had numerous scratches all over his face. He noticed John staring at his wounds. "You can thank little Allison for my face, she wouldn't exactly come quietly, I'm guessing you taught her how to do that shit she does". John could see Allison grin beneath her blood stained face. He had taught her how to defend herself ever since the gang leader that tried to rape Liz came back for revenge against John, by trying to rape Allison. John killed him for touching her and he, Kyle and Liz dumped his body behind the warehouse. "Yeah, I taught her, doesn't mean you had to kill these three, they were just children".

The overseer just smiled and laughed. "I didn't need them alive, It's your fault their dead, you've ruined my life, I had something here, this camp was my life, Skynet will kill me for letting everyone escape. But first, I'm going to kill you, then, me and your daughter are going to have a cosy night together". John felt like he was going to explode in anger, he hadn't felt so angry since he killed the gang leader. He had to muster all his strength not to charge at him and beat him to death with his bare hands. Allison began to cry, causing the overseer to laugh slightly. John knew instantly that she was faking it. Allison bent down, he hand slipping in to her pocket and out again quickly, a knife grasped in her hand. She moved herself back up in to her knees, wiping the blood from her face as she did. She looked right at John for a signal to attack, a signal John was ready to give. A large explosion was heard from outside, HK aerials were in the air, Skynet's reinforcements had arrived.

John could see the next events happening in slow motion. Kyle, Bedell and over thirty others appeared from the shadows, surrounding the overseer. John raised his hand, showing Allison his ring finger. Allison moved just like he had taught her, she raised the knife over her head, stabbing the overseer in his eye. John ran forwards and grabbed Allison as she ran to him. The overseer, in his pain, fired at her. John turned on the spot, taking Allison with him, shielding her from the bullets. Kyle, Bedell and the others all fired at the overseer, and they all kept firing till they were forced to reload. The overseer fell to the ground and moved no more, his reign of terror over the camp had ended. Never the less, the damage was done. Allison looked up in to John's eyes, screaming in horror as John began to fall, two bullets having gone through his back and out of his chest. "DAD, NO, DAD, GET UP!". Everyone present yelled out in disbelief and horror. Allison tried pulling John to his feet, but he couldn't moved, he felt numb and cold. Bedell and Kyle pushed Allison out of the way and picked John up, holding him up by their shoulders. "Everyone, we're getting him out of here, both John and Allison Connor, we're not leaving them behind, if they die, we all die, UNDERSTAND!". "Yes sir!".

They all shouted in union with one another. John could feel his feet being dragged along the ground as they took him out of the warehouse. John was able to open his eyes for brief moments. He could see the HK aerials in the air, their spotlights looking for them. John could only guess that they didn't spot them because the next thing he knew, he was being lowered on to a stretcher, with century work camp in the distance. "This is John Connor, he takes priority over anyone else, he must live!". John felt his strength leaving him as he was taken through the tunnels to somewhere he didn't know, he could only guess he was being taken to the resistance base he had set up. He heard Bedell and Kyle giving orders to blow the tunnels entrance to stop Skynet following them. John opened his eyes on last time, above him he saw the one thing he wanted to see most. He saw Cameron's face, the face of the one he loved. She smiled at him and said, "You did it, you saved everyone, saved them all". John smiled as she disappeared and he passed out from the pain. The last thing he heard in his head was Cameron's voice saying, "I love you".


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The last thing John remembered was being carried on a stretcher after he had been shot twice, shielding his daughter from harm. The first thought that went through his head was relief. He had protected his daughter, something a father always does for his little girl, his princess. The next through was also relief, for he was alive. He next felt like an idiot, he let a personal matter get in the way. If he had died, everyone else would have died and Skynet would have won. Deep down, he knew he had made the right choice and if faced with that choice again, he would make the same decision, with out any regret. The first thing he noticed is that he was lying on a cold surface. He opened his eyes, closing them again quickly when seeing a bright light. He tried turning himself to look away from it, but he felt a huge surge of pain from her chest. He tried turning the other way, but found it hurt a lot more.

He quickly accepted defeat and open his eyes again. It took a while before he could see anything, but his surroundings came in to focus eventually. He looked towards his chest and saw two large bandages covering his wounds, they were blood stained, blood slowly steeping through. He was lying on a bed, his body sitting up as he was leaning against some pillows. He was hooked to a heart monitor, which showed the slow beating of his heart. He didn't know if the slow beating was a good or bad thing. Looking around the room he was in, he at first thought he was alone. Looking to his left, he saw Liz sitting in the chair at his bedside. Her head was dropped forwards and she didn't seem to move.

John feared she was dead at first until she moved slightly in her sleep. On a small table next to her, was a pile of bandages that were blood stained. John guessed that they were his previous bandages and Liz had been changing them. He felt another movement to his right. Turning his head again, he saw Allison lying on the bed next to him. At seeing her asleep, he only then noticed she was holding his hand. He slowly moved his hand out of hers, trying hard not to move to much and wake her. He raised his now free hand and gradually began stocking her hair, the same way he would stroke Cameron's.

Allison stirred slightly and her eyes flickered open slightly. John could only guess she hadn't been asleep for very long. She slowly sat up, her hair passing out of John's fingers. She rubbed her eyes before looking right at John who just looked back. Her mouth half opened in complete shock and she closed her eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Dad?". Allison sounded like she was looking at a ghost. "Hey Allison, you okay?". Her eyes widened even further in shock before her face gradually changed from shock to happiness. "DAD!". She threw herself forwards on top of him, wrapping her arms around him, causing John immense pain but he tried hard not to make a fuss about it. "I thought you wouldn't wake up again, I'm so glad your okay". She was now half crying and half laughing with joy. The commotion on the bed woke Liz, who looked with equal shock towards the bed. As Allison did, she moved to John, wrapping her arms around him also. "Your heart stopped three times, we thought you weren't going to make it". At this point, John was in real pain.

"I normally wouldn't complain having two woman having their arms around me, but I was shot remember". They both pulled away quickly, half laughing and stuttering apologies. "I'll be back in a minute, just don't move and take it easy". Liz kissed John on the cheek before heading for the door and leaving. John looked at Allison. He held his arm out, pulling her back to him. "Why did you do it dad?, he was going to kill me, not you". John laughed, he though she would understand by now. "You're my daughter, I'd die to protect you". Allison pressed herself in to John, refusing to let go but making sure she avoided his wounds. "Dad, I love you, but if you nearly die again, I'll kill you, I haven't been more scared in my life when your heart stopped, three times". John didn't even know where he was, let alone remember anything else. "Where are we?, and how long was I out?". Allison sat up and sat on her knees, facing John. "We're at home plate, two miles underground, save from the machines". John opened his mouth to speak but Allison cut across him.

"No one is ever safe, I know Dad, but what we've all been through, its safer then anywhere else". Home plate was the name of the base William Anderson build underground while John was in Century work camp. The base was carefully hidden so it was almost impossible to spot from the surface. At maximum, the base was large enough to house over twenty thousand people, though it would be crowded. "You've been here three days dad, your heart kept stopping, we though you had died at one point". She bit her lip and closed her eyes, trying to think about it. "Hey, it's okay, I'm okay, I'm not dead, I'm alive". Allison learnt forwards and hugged John again. "Don't scar me like that again, Dad!, or you'll have to worry about me killing you more then the machines". John held her tight, just glad she was okay more then he war. "Fair enough, it's a deal, if I die, you can kill me, I wont stop you". She laughed out loud and John could instantly tell that she hadn't laughed in days.

The door suddenly flew open and Liz walked in, followed by two other men John didn't know. Both stopped briefly, shocked at seeing John alive. They shook themselves and began to check John was truly okay. Allison stepped aside and stood by Liz, watching as they checked his wounds. John was forced to painfully turn himself so they could check his back, where the bullets entered him in the first place. They checked his vital signs and anything else they could think off. One eventually stepped back away from John, shaking his head in disbelief. "Nothing, theirs nothing wrong, no infection, no blood poisoning, no nothing, your fine, your going to be fine, once you've healed up of course".

The moment he finished, someone else came in to the room, looking right at John. His eyes widened in shock and excitement at seeing John. Before anyone could act, he turned and ran out of the room. As he ran, he repeatedly screamed at the top pf his voice, "HE'S ALIVE, JOHN CONNOR'S ALIVE!". Liz looked at John, seeing the confusing in his face. "You got us out of that place, you're a hero in everyone's eyes, we all thought you weren't going to make it". John rolled his eyes in a can't do anything about it now way. He tried getting up again but couldn't. "Sorry sir, but you won't be getting up for a few weeks, not until your fully healed".

The word that John Connor had survived spread like wildfire through the base. Once the word was heard, everyone cried out in celebration and relief. The man who had saved them all from certain death was alive, he wasn't going to leave them, he was still there for them. John Connor was still there to lead them in this war, and not one person complained at his survival. Over the next weeks, John gradually began to heal and was able to walk again, but was forced to take long rests afterwards due to the pain. John also finally met face to face Liz's brother William. To John and Liz's surprise, despite knowing for a fact it was John who saved him and his sister all those years ago, he actually recognised John's face. As Derek had told John years before, William was a keen weapons designer, coming up with many wild ideas for weapons to use against the machines. John also met an old US army member, named Perry. He brought John a lot of information on military tactics. Bedell instantly recommended to John that Perry be made a general, recognising his superior military skills. John agreed and he assumed second in command status over the base. Both Perry and William were at first doubtful of John's skill as a leader but both were proven wrong.

As Skynet was not prepared for a mass breakout, it had only a small army of machines in the LA area. Many thousands of people came out from their hiding places through out the area, pledging allegiance to John. John quickly set up a chain of underground bunkers, naming them after the old American states. When they ran out of states, they used names like Hammerhead and Eagle Rock. With in another week, John had contacted people in hiding all over north America, setting up more bunkers and communications to keep in contact with them. They all looked to John for leadership, John being to only figure of authority other then Skynet to be seen since Judgement day, thirteen years before. With in another week, John had set up permanent communication between himself and Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and the British Isles, all of them for the first time finding someone who had the nerve to fight back, they all swore they would die fighting for John Connor. As John was busy building his army to fight the machines, Skynet was also building its army.

Skynet saw the battle at Century work camp as a lesson of human determination to escape and fight back. It had never before encountered such fierce resistance to its rule over the planet. Using its hundreds of factories on every continent, it began producing more powerful and advanced war machines. Skynet then deployed its new army and actively took the fight to the resistance. Though they had a harder time fighting the new machines, John forced Skynet in to a worldwide stalemate. Every time Skynet designed a newer and more powerful weapon, the resistance would steal it and make their own version. Every time Skynet developed a new tactic, the resistance would learn it and use it against the machines. What Skynet had in numbers and technology, the resistance made up for with human adaptation and guerrilla warfare.

As the war raged around him, John found himself feeling increasingly isolated. Bedell and Kyle were fighting under general Perry in another part of the city of LA, he knew they were alive, but he missed them both. Before Kyle left to fight, he told John he had found his brother Derek, causing John to remember when he shot and killed Derek to save himself and Cameron. John knew that Kyle believed more in the legend of Sarah and John Connor then anybody else and found it increasingly strange when talking about his mother to Kyle when he asked. John could tell he had developed feelings for her, despite her being long dead. He also knew that he would one day be sent back in time to meet her and die protecting her.

Just before Kyle left, John gave to him a picture of Sarah to Kyle. Kyle asked why he was giving it to him but John refused to say, knowing he couldn't. Liz had quickly become a vital asset to John, she quickly took an interest in Skynet technology. She led a team in studying the technology and using it to design weapons with her brother. They developed the early resistance version of the plasma rifle, quickly evened out the odds again against the machines. The only comfort John had was Allison, who was now a fifteen year old teenager, she as usual looked after John and made sure he was alright, especially once his nightmares began getting worse again.

Half a year since the break out from Century work camp and John once again woke from a nightmare. Allison came in to John's room, having been woken up. "Sorry, just another nightmare". She shrugged her shoulders and got in to bed next to John. "I've been listening for hours dad, you talk in your sleep". They didn't say anything more, neither couldn't get back to sleep. John didn't exactly want to go back to sleep and found it strange Allison was still awake. "What's wrong?, you normally fall to sleep easily". Allison seemed to be having a violent argument with herself in her head. John watched, half amused, half concerned as she sat up and looked at John with an expression close to sadness. She reached in to her pocket and took out the picture of John and Cameron with Allison when she was a baby. Allison sat back so she was learning against John, she pulled the blanket over herself and held the picture up so both she and John could see it. John could quickly see small tears falling down her face. "Allison, what's wrong?".

John was now getting concerned, as she ran her finger across Cameron's face. "I know what she is dad, I know what she is under her skin". John's heart missed a beat. how the hell did she know that, he had always been careful not to say anything about Cameron being a machine. John didn't say anything as he couldn't think of anything to say, prompting Allison to continue herself. "When you have nightmares dad, you talk in your sleep, a lot, I figured it out years ago". John felt a little relief at this, Allison had said she figured it out years ago and she still called Cameron her mother only weeks before. "How can she be one of them dad, you love her, you married her, she looks like us, how can you love one of them, you hate them". John again found it hard to answer. "Yes, I hate them, I hate them all, except her, I fell in love with her the first second I saw her, I didn't know she was a machine then but even after I found out, nothing changed, I still loved her". Allison noticed that John has twirling the brown string around his finger again, In which she gave a small grin. "She was once a machine, through to the core, but she changed, the more time she spend with humans, with me, the more she became one of us. She started to develop her own personality, her own emotions".

Allison turned to him. "What emotions?, which ones?". John could easily have listed every known emotion in the world but only gave the first few to come to his head. "Jealousy, hate, fear, anger, love, she even started breathing and she has a heart beat, she didn't know how or why she did, but she never complained once". Allison seemed fascinated by Cameron's emotions, her face lit up as John spoke. "Dad, You never told me what happened after Judgement day, what happened between you two, please tell me, I want to know, I need to know, I deserve to know if your going to be my father and she my mother". John raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I thought you wouldn't want to know her, knowing what she is". Allison shook her head. "You're my dad, your married to her which makes her my mom, which ever way you put it". She lay back, resting her head on John's pillow. She pulled John down next to her, still holding up the picture. "Tell me dad, what happened?". John had told no one what happened after Judgement day between him and Cameron, only a few knew he had married her, most didn't know she existed. John didn't want to lie anymore to Allison, and so he told her what she wanted to know, he told her the story of himself and Cameron.

. :.:.: . Many Years Ago . :.:.: .

It had been three years since Judgment day, three years since the bombs fell and so many people died. Not one day went by when John felt guilt for not stopping Judgement day. They were so close, so very close to stopping it all, all the death and fear, but he failed, failed everyone. It was the middle of the night, and John found himself standing alone in the forest. Through the trees above him, an HK aerial flew high, its spotlights scanning the forest below it. John moved himself behind the tree to hide as the light neared him, hitting the tree. John waited for the HK aerial to move away before moving quickly and quietly through the trees, having to stop again as another HK aerial came in to view and shone its spotlights to the forest floor. John heard to sound of movement through the darkness.

He gripped his gun tightly, ready to defend himself. His grip instantly lessened when Cameron came in to view, ducking out of the line of light from the machine above them. Ducking behind a large rock, she moved her chocolate coloured hair from her face. The moment she saw John, her face lit up with relief, as did John's. They had been forced to separate only minutes before but it seemed like hours as the HK aerials began searching for them. A large explosion was heard in the distance and the machines above them moved towards it, away from John and Cameron. Large holes appeared on the underbelly of the machines, and dozens of drones were deployed, flying with them and firing in to the distance. As the machines moved away, John and Cameron left their hiding places and embraced each other. "The sooner we get out this forest John, the better". John agreed with her, he had seen enough trees to last him a lifetime. They quickly let each other go as another HK aerial flew over them, firing rockets in to the distance.

"They found the outpost, Skynet will send more machines to search the forest on the ground, we need to go". John followed Cameron up a large hill, holding on to trees to pull themselves up it. Once they reached the top of the hill, they could see the entire valley before them. John and Cameron took each others hand an watched as the three HK aerials attacked and destroyed a camp. They could hear the screams as people fled in all directions from the camp. The aerials destroyed what buildings were standing and the drones gunned down what people they could. As always, Skynet's machines showed no mercy, had no distinction between man, woman or child. John and Cameron had seen many of these massacres, some from a distance, others they were part of, only just managing to escape.

The Amazon rainforest was large, an almost endless jungle, but everywhere they went, the machines were always close by. The drones and aerials left the camp and searched the forest for any other survivors. The flames from the camp lit up the night sky, making it glow a bright orange. If under different circumstances, both John and Cameron would have thought the sky beautiful. The camp used to be a drug plantation before Judgement day. After the bombs fell, the drug lord quickly changed his ways, taking in many people, providing food, water and shelter for them all. But now he, like so many others, were dead. "How many more times do we have to see this, to hear them scream for help, for someone to save them?". Cameron could answer John's question, for she was feeling the same as he was feeling.

John and Cameron had joined thousands of people from North America as they fled across the deserts of Mexico, just trying to escape the newly emerging machines. If John had a choice, he would have stayed and fought back with Cameron. But he was one man, and against an army of machines, he would have died. Cameron herself, was eager to fight back. Despite being the most advanced machine on the planet at this moment of time, she couldn't fight an army by herself. They couldn't allow themselves to be captured or killed. It was John's destiny to lead, but not yet. If Cameron were to be captured, Skynet would use her more advanced technology to make machines capable of wiping them all out.

Skynet could also use her skin as a template to make more, to cover its machines earlier then Skynet would actually developed the skins itself. Unable to fight back and unable to stay in or around LA, they fled south, away from Skynet, waiting until it was time to go back and fight. They entered the Amazon rainforest over a year before, joining with small groups of people, just trying to stay alive in small huts and small villages. John and Cameron never stayed in one place for too long, always moving on from village to village, valley to valley, country to country.

Eventually, the drones returned to their HK aerials which in turn, left the area, heading in the opposite direction from John and Cameron. With the machines out of site, they gazed at the lit up sky one lest time. It was as close to seeing a clear blue sky they had seen in years. John turned his gaze to Cameron. He found her to look even more beautiful with the orange glow from the fire hitting her face. It was as if she was glowing with the light. Cameron noticed he was staring and stared back, the light catching her eyes. "Your doing it again". A small smile formed on both their faces, despite what they had just witnessed. "You just so beautiful, it's like you getting more beautiful every day I see you". Cameron smiled widely as she always did when John told her she was beautiful, she could feel her heart beat increase in speed, as it always did as well. Moving her hands to John shoulders, she moved herself and kissed him, running her lips across his. Cameron next heard something she didn't want to. Her hands on his shoulders, she forced herself and John to the ground. Two rockets passed over them a second later, hitting a tree. Cameron hit her fist against the ground. "They really know how to kill the moment!".

Getting to their feet, they both turned and ran passed the burning remains of the tree and ran, deep in to the forest. The drone followed them, finding it hard to keep track of them through the trees. Neither John or Cameron had any weapons, having lost them over the years of running. All they could do was run and hope the other machines hadn't found them either. They lost sight of the drone for a split second, allowing them to hide behind separate trees. The drone stopped and scanned the area, trying to figure out where they were. The drone came close to the tree Cameron was hiding behind. John could see Cameron flex her fingers, ready to grab it if it came to her side of the tree. The drone then moved to another tree and eventually, it rose upwards out of the trees and away from them. John breathed deeply, thankful for their escape. He instantly froze on the spot when the drone returned, dropping from nowhere behind Cameron. The drones red eyes focused on her face, ready to fire rockets at her. She simply gave it a mocking smile before driving her fist through its eye. Sparks flew in every direction and the drone shook violently. Cameron removed her hand and the drone fell to the ground, exploding as it did.

The explosion send metal parts in every direction, including at John. He dived for cover, only to have a bit of metal slash across his cheek. Cameron appeared next to him seconds later, helping him to his feet. "John, let me see". John moved his hand away from his cheek. "You need stitches we need to find somewhere to hide". She turned to walk away, but John grabbed her arm, stopping her. He raised her arm and looked at her hand. It was burnt badly, but Cameron didn't feel pain, so it didn't bother her much. "I'll fine, you're more important then me, we need to find somewhere to hide". She again tried to move away but John again held her in place. "I'm not more important then you, never think that". Cameron tilted her head to the side as she always did when she didn't understand something. John let her go and she turned and headed deep in to the jungle, John behind her. They found a cave system at the foot of a mountain that was close by. Inside the cave, was an underground river, flowing down from the mountain.

Despite having his cheek cut open, he managed to grab some wood from outside and start a fire next to the small river, putting rocks around it to reflect the heat better. John refused to let Cameron tend to his face until he had bandaged her hand. John took care not to miss a single burn mark and was gentle with his skin. Cameron thought it nice he was trying to prevent her feeling pain from it, despite not being able to feel pain like he did. Once he finished, Cameron began to stitch his face, in turn being careful to cause the least pain possible. Once she finished, she looked over his wound. She frowned and began putting their medical supplies back in to their bags. "Its going to leave a scar". She seemed a little down then she normally was. "What's wrong?". "It's my fault your hurt, if I didn't….". John cut her off. "Hey, it wasn't your fault, believe me it wasn't your fault, it was the drone, not you". She smiled at him and she leant back against the cave wall. John moved himself next to her. "Why are you like that?, always nice to me the way you are". John put his arm around her, bringing her closer to him, and kissing her on the forehead. "Because I love you". They watched the fire burn for a while, before both falling asleep in each others arms, forgetting about the machines searching for them outside.

Over the next weeks, John and Cameron headed north, not seeing any other people, or any machines for that matter. Though they both kept their eyes and ears open for anything that would be a threat to them, but except from a few snakes, they saw and heard nothing. For the first time in years, John and Cameron were truly alone, they both enjoyed the quiet away from others. As they moved further and further north, they eventually came across a small village, hidden at the base of a mountain river. As they approached, everyone who saw them froze in fear at the sight of them. The children hid behind their parents, everyone backed off away from them. Most of the villagers were covered in facial tattoos and markings, they were part of a tribe, living simple lives. John and Cameron stopped and looked around. John could see these people were scared of them, he didn't want to intimidate them in any way. As they stopped, the men of the tribe held out spears in defence. More people came out of some of the tents, none of them having markings of any kind, some held pistols, aiming at John and Cameron. They held their hands in the air, showing they weren't armed. "I don't think they are going to welcome us John, we better go". John agreed and slowly backed away from the village, but as they did, every advanced quickly on them, only stopping when they did. John turned his head to Cameron. "I don't think they want us to leave either".

They heard a snapping sound behind them. Turning on the spot, they were surrounded by more then twenty other people. Leading the group was a woman, dark haired and had a strong Spanish accent. "Who are you?, why are you here?". John didn't answer straight away, looking at one face to the next. He only answered out of fear for the safety of the men point the guns at them. The woman pressed the gun to John's head, John quickly put his hand on to Cameron's chest as she moved towards her. "My names John, this is Cameron". The woman looked at Cameron for a split second, before her eyes darted back to John. "We're just passing by, we weren't planning on staying, we're hiding from the machines". Everyone quivered slightly at the mention of the machines. The woman ran her finger across John's new scar on his cheek, getting a hateful look from Cameron as she did. "How did you get this, it's fresh". John moved himself slightly back, the woman's hand leaving his face.

John caught Cameron's eye, he instantly noticed she didn't like the other woman touching him. "Weeks ago, machines nearly got us, I got this from them". The woman nodded her head and smiled. As she did, everyone around her lowered their weapons. John looked around at the tribe behind them, still had their spears ready for a fight. The woman called to them, speaking in a language that John nor Cameron understood. Once she finished, the men lowered their weapons and the tribe instantly continued with what they were doing before John and Cameron arrived. "What did you tell them?". The people behind the woman passed John and Cameron, joining the tribe. "I told them you were one of us, that you were hiding like we are, they won't kill you now, come on, I'll find you something to eat". The woman walked between John and Cameron, brushing herself across John as she went. John held out his hand to Cameron who took it and they followed the woman down in to the village. John could see Cameron had her eyes fixed on the woman in front of her. John squeezed her hand slightly, getting her attention. "Don't worry, I'm yours, no one else's". At this, Cameron smiled and gripped John's hand tighter, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked.

John and Cameron spend weeks living in the village, befriending almost everybody. They had intended to leave the day after arriving but ended up staying. The tribe weren't strangers to the modern world, having trade with the nearest city years ago, but after Judgement day, they adopted these new people in to their tribe, to be safe, including John and Cameron. The village itself, was isolated, almost perfectly hidden at the foot of the mountain. The river provided a continues supply of fresh water, and the men of the tribe hunted for food every day. The adopted tribe member, mostly people from the cities in South America, worked a small farm nearby to grow food and led scouting parties in to the jungle, watching for machines. Both John and Cameron joined the scouting parties, helped out on the farm, hunted for food and chopped wood. For the first time since before Judgement day, John and Cameron felt like they had a place to call home.

As the weeks went on, they noticed that the tribe celebrated everything that happened, the birth of a child, a birthday, anything that was worth celebrating, they celebrated it, however large or small. They celebrated with a party, playing their own music and dancing. During many of these parties, John and Cameron would dance together, John caught her eyes at one time, and he could truly see the true Cameron, the one he fell in love with, so full of emotion. During one such party, in which they celebrated as the leader of the tribe's wife had a new son, John and Cameron sat together by the river relaxing. John sat behind Cameron, rubbing her shoulders as she had her feet in the water, allowing the water to flow between her toes. "I think I've danced enough now, my feet are killing me". John smirked, as Cameron had always been the one to drag him up to dance with her, him not being a fan of dancing.

They could hear the party going on behind them, they both looked around as some of the girls screamed out loud and laughing as some men picked them up and swung them around. Cameron pushed herself in to John, taking his hands and resting them on her lap, her head resting on his chest. "I like it here, everyone just lives like people do, they just get on with it, not thinking about what's out there, what's after them, I wish we could stay for longer". "So do I, but we have to leave eventually". They both knew they had to head north again in the future, back through Mexico and on to LA, to start fighting back. John tried to put it out of his head, he was happy where he was for now, he had always wanted to be with Cameron the way he was now, just relaxing together as couples do. Through the clouds above them, they could see the moon shining down on them, It had been a long time since either of them had seen it, once again, in John's eyes, Cameron seemed to glow, enhancing her beauty ten fold. She held her diamond necklace up to catch the light from the moon, which it did spectacularly.

"Did I have anyone in the future?, anyone special?". Cameron thought about this, trying to figure out what he meant by special. "Special?, like me?". "Yes, like you, did I have anyone?". At John saying yes to her, Cameron felt her heart beat picking up speed again. "No, you didn't, you were alone all the time, you had no one, but when I came, you and I talked all the time, you seemed happier when I was around". John held Cameron a little tighter as she spoke, moving his head down to hers, till his mouth was an inch from her ear. John had thought a lot about asking Cameron what he was about to ask her, he had thought about it very day since he first told her he loved her. He had came close to asking before today, but it just never seemed to be the right time when he did. Taking a few long deep breaths, he whispered his question in to her ear . "Cameron, will you marry me?".

Cameron dropped her diamond, her breath taken away from her. John could feel her trembling from head to toe. She slowly turned herself to face him. John, at seeing her face, nearly forgot everything and kiss her where she was, but held back. "What did you say?". John knew she had heard him but didn't blame her for wanting to hear it again. He took her hand and held it before looking in to her eyes. "I love you, I always have loved you, ever since you asked me my name in that school, I've loved you, I don't want to be that John Connor with nobody, no one to love, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no one else, just you, will you marry me?". As he spoke, tears fell from Cameron's eyes down her cheeks, these weren't tears of sadness, these were tears of joy. With her uncontrollable breathing and trembling body, Cameron couldn't say a word, no matter how many times she opened her mouth.

She had dreamt for this moment more times then she could remember, though she never thought John would actually ask her to marry him. Slowly, she nodded her head. "Is that a yes?". She nodded her head again before kissing him, pushing John down on to the ground. What John and Cameron hadn't realised was that half of the people in the village had been listening to them. The moment Cameron had said yes to John's question, they began to clap their hands and cheer. Cameron, in her entire existence, had never thought she could fall in love as deeply as she had done now.

Cameron and John had already made their decision to leave and go back north, across Mexico and back to Los Angeles. Once they told everyone their plan, the leader of the tribe asked them to stay and marry in the village before they left. He off handily muttered to John that he didn't have an excuse to get drunk next weekend as they had nothing to celebrate that weekend. Both John and Cameron agreed to this and both got increasingly nervous as the day of their wedding got closer. Neither of them had a say on any preparations as Cameron was dragged away so the women could make a dress for her. John was told that the tribe had done a seven weddings since Judgement day and they were a mixture of tribal tradition and modern wedding ceremonies.

As the day of the wedding dawned, Cameron was taken away the previous night to sleep away from John as it was bad luck to see the bride the night before the wedding. John woke the next morning, feeling more nervous then the time he first told Cameron he loved her. He dressed as smartly as he could with what clothes he had and waited by the river, where he and Cameron were to marry. He waited for a long time as he had woken before anyone else had. He tried to control his nerves, trued to calm down but nothing he did seemed to work. When people started showing up, John thought he would pass out from the nerves, but he never once considered running, not once. John was told to take off his shoes and step in to the river barefooted, while the tribe's spiritual leader stood near him, also in the water, waiting for Cameron to make her appearance.

John kept his head down, watching the water flow below him. He didn't even realise the last of the people had arrived and were all talking to each other. They suddenly all went quiet. John, taking a few deep breaths, looked up. Standing in front of him was Cameron. John's jaw dropped when he saw her. She was wearing a white silk dress, that ran down in to the water, where she was also bare footed. Her hair was entwined with flowers, all white, red and blue. He had never seen her as beautiful as she was now. "You look incredible". Cameron, who looked just as nervous as her did, gave a smile. One of the women of the tribe who could speak English stepped in to the river towards them.

"Right, you two ready?, I'm going to translate as much as I can for you". Neither John or Cameron answered her, both lost in each others eyes. The woman simply smiled at them both before taking John's hands and holding them up. She next took Cameron's and held them together with John's. The spiritual leader began speaking in his own language. The woman translated what she could, mentioning things like their soul's bonding together and other similar things. It went on for almost half an hour, until the leader took some ash from his pocket and let small amounts at a time drop from his hand over John's arms. The woman looked at Cameron. "Do you take John to be your husband?, until the day all things end, and life begins anew".

Cameron, almost crying with joy at this point, nodded her head. "Yes!". The man did the same again, taking ash from his pocket and letting small amounts of it to fall on to Cameron's arms. The woman turned to John. "Do you take Cameron to be your wife?, until the day all things end, and life begins anew". John not once took his eyes off Cameron, he couldn't look away from her eyes as he said, "Yes, I do". Cameron's smile widened as John gripped her hands tighter. The leader reached in to his pocket for the last time and took some ask, dropping it on to their joined hands. He then stepped back and held his hands in the air. The woman stepped forwards holding out her hand. In the palm of her hand, were two brown bits of string. "We don't have any real rings, but these are going to have to do, I hope you both don't mind". John took one of the rings and Cameron held her left hand out. John carefully put the string around her wedding finger. Cameron next did the same to John, taking the brown string and put it on his wedding finger.

Once that was done, the woman stepped back and said, "You are now husband and wife, you may kiss". They didn't need telling twice, wrapping their arms around each other, John and Cameron kissed, bringing cheers from everyone watching. Even when the cheers died down, John and Cameron were still kissing. It took loud cries from everyone to separate them so the village could get the party started. The village celebrated all day, eating, drinking and dancing, It didn't take long for night to fall. When night did come, few people were left awake, many including the tribes leader had passed out from the drinking. Neither John or Cameron had had anything to drink, they just couldn't believe that they were now married to each other. The woman who gave them their rings came over to them. "You two should go home, its your wedding night, have fun". She then fell flat on her face and passed out like everyone else. John and Cameron didn't move for five minutes until they could stop laughing. John carried Cameron in his arms to their little house, laying her down on to their bed. He stroked her hair, which was still full of flowers. Cameron placed her hands on his shoulders. "I've never had a better day then today, I love you, John Connor". "And I love you, Cameron Connor". Cameron pulled John towards her and they kissed, reminding them both of when they first kissed in the swimming pool all those years ago.

John and Cameron left the village two days later, and once again headed north. It took a long time for them to get used to the brown sting now on their fingers. Once they entered Mexico, it didn't take long to see the machines again. The further north they went, the more machine activity they encountered. It was clear Skynet was now changing tactics, instead of outright killing everyone and anything that moved, Skynet had begun to round up people and take them to the new work camps. Despite their joint desire to save the people in the wagons, they couldn't draw attention to themselves and so they pressed on. Without tree cover from the forests, they couldn't move anymore by day, and had to move at night, which was also difficult, only enabling them to move a couple of miles at a time. By the time LA came in to sight, it had just turned 2016.

The city was not how they remembered it, the city was no more then a heap of ruins, and the skies above the city was forever full of HK aerials and drones. John had noticed that they got closer to the city, the quieter and more saddened Cameron appeared to become. He didn't know why at first but then it stuck him. He remembered that he had to be imprisoned in Century work camp for six years, and Cameron couldn't be there with him. If she was discovered to not be human, Skynet would use her to make more advanced machines, effectively winning Skynet the war before its even begun. It didn't matter how many theories or ideas John came up with, Cameron was adamant that she be hidden away while John was in Century work camp. What Cameron was more worried about was John's safety in Century work camp, without her there with him, he would be vulnerable, even if history dictated that he escaped in six years and started the revolution. John didn't care in the slightest about his own safety, but he cared about Cameron's.

Cameron showed John where he was to be captured and told him she would have to hide nearby, until he came and got her when he breaks out of Century work camp. Cameron lead John in to the basement of their old home, the words written in blood by the dead resistance fighter were still visible on the wall, but now were covered in dust. They headed down in to the lowest room, a room they had never used when living in the house. Cameron sat down on the edge of a table, tears silently falling down her cheeks. John himself was close to tears, he tried to convince himself that he didn't have to leave her here alone. "Do we have to do this?, I can't leave you here for six years". Cameron tried hard to stop her tears but trying just upset her more. "You have to, I don't want you to go, but you have to, you know what will happen if you don't, My chip is ready, only you can wake me up again, I don't want anyone else to wake me, just you". Cameron was going to go in to permanent standby mode, with only John's voice able to wake her again.

"If you don't wake me, then you will be dead, and I don't want to wake up if that's the case, I can't live with out you". It took nearly an hour for both of them to accept that John had to leave. John lay Cameron down on a mattress, hidden behind all the boxes and tables in the room. "I promise, I'll come back for you, I swear I will". Cameron held her left hand out to John, showing her wedding finger and the brown string around it. "I meant it when I told you, I loved you, I love you". John, fighting back more tears, took her hand in to his own. "And I meant it, I love you". He learnt forwards and kissed her for the last time. As he pulled away, Cameron, not being able to bare the burden of seeing him leave her, closed her eyes and forced herself in to standby mode, her hands fell to her side, and she moved no more, even her chest stopped moving as she no longer drew breath. Stepping away from her, John hid her with the boxes in the basement. He didn't say a word and tried not to look at her as she disappeared behind the boxes.

He stepped out of the room and closed what was left of the door. He climbed the stairs and stepped back in to the remains of his old house. It was only then that John lost control, falling to the ground in tears, he had left her for five minutes and he missed her so much already. Dragging himself to his feet, he headed away from the house, not daring himself to look back. He had to wait alone for two days in a sewer pipe, until he could hear the sounds of a convoy heading his way. Stepping out from his hiding place, John held his hands in the air, the third monkey wagon in the convoy opening its doors. He was ordered to get inside, and only after a warning shot was fired at his feet, did he get inside.

. :.:.: . Back to the present . :.:.: .

John finished telling his story, relief surging through him that he had finally told someone about Cameron. He looked down to see that Allison had fallen asleep. He didn't know how much of the story she had heard but he didn't care. Checking his watch, he still had around an hour before he had to get up. Pulling the blanket over himself and Allison. Allison stirred in her sleep, laying her head on his chest. He tried closing his eyes, but his eyes fell on the picture in Allison's hand. Taking it from her grasp, he look at the picture. As John gazed at the picture, he shed a single tear and he made a decision. He didn't care how deep in to Skynet territory Cameron was hidden, didn't care how dangerous it was, he was going to get her back. Tomorrow, he was getting his wife back, he wasn't going to spend another single day without her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

John woke to the sound of the alarm on his watch going off. He didn't move at first, comfortable where he was. When he did finally open his eyes, he felt a hand grab his watch and press the button, turning the alarm off. Allison rolled over, yawning loudly and stretching her arms, hitting John in the face in the process. John only then noticed he was still holding the picture of himself, Cameron and Allison from the night before. He looked at it long and hard again before handing it back to Allison. She took it with a smile and got out of the bed, shivering in the cold. "Allison, wait, how much did you hear last night, before you fell asleep?". Allison stopped in the doorway to her bedroom before turning to face John. John half expected her to be angry or disgusted with him, but her face told John she was feeling exactly to opposite.

"I heard all I needed to hear dad, just tell me when your going to get my mother and bring her home". John had already decided to get her tonight, he didn't care how risky it was, he couldn't live with out her any more. Six and a half years was too long, far to long to be without someone you love so much it hurts every second not being with her, not knowing if she's safe, not knowing if she's alive or dead. "I'm getting her soon, very soon, I promise you". Allison smiled, bringing a similar warmth to John as Cameron's smile did, though Cameron's was much more powerful. She turned and left for her own room. John hated lying to Allison, but he wasn't going to tell her his plan. She would force him to take her with him and he wasn't going to risk her life as well as his own, not again.

The day seemed to be never ending for John. Everything he did, no matter if it took only seconds or minutes to do, seemed to him like hours. He wanted more then anything to just leave and find Cameron, but because it was daylight, it would be suicide to travel the distance he had to, to find her. When night finally did fall, he finally had the chance to find Cameron, but John first had to get out of the base. The security of the base was huge, to stop machines getting in, so John knew he would have a hard time getting out. He got back to his room, finding Allison asleep in her bed. He stood over her and watched her sleep of a few seconds before pulling the blanket over her to keep her warm. Making sure he was quiet as to not wake her, he went in to his own room and took his plasma rifle, hiding it beneath his coat.

He quietly stepped out of his and Allison's home, in to the dark corridor. The corridor was dimly lit, small lights dotted the ceiling all along the corridor. On this corridor, at least fifty doors were on each side, leading in to separate rooms, all belonging to a family or group of solders. The base was full of rooms like these, housing over twenty thousand people, most of them civilians. John knew from he start he would have trouble getting out of the base, every corridor was covered with camera's, continues rotating patrols of solders moved through the base and every entrance to the outside was heavily guarded. John tired his best to keep his face hidden, keeping himself in the shadows and looking away from the cameras and anyone who saw him. After ten minutes, John stepped in to the motor pool, housing what trucks and cars the resistance had.

Many of them were old, and looked like they were only being held together by glue. Barrels of fuel stood next to every one of them, some leaking their contents on to the ground. John walked towards the entrance of the motor pool, which led to the outside world. Their were around twenty men guarding the door, some manning emplaced machine guns or rocket launchers, the rest all held plasma rifles, ready for any machine attack on the base. Their were also three dogs, tired up with rope, lying near the doors, watching John as he approached. The dogs had always been able to sense when a machine is near by, hence dogs were placed in every bunker on the orders of John.

As John came in to view, the captain guarding the door didn't recognise John at first, so few people did. But when John got closer, the captain stood to attention, prompting the other men to do the same. "General Connor sir, what can I do for you?". John stopped in front of him, taking his plasma rifle from under his coat and holding it in his hands. "Open the doors". The captain nearly fell over. "Sir?, what do you mean?". "I mean, open the doors, I can't walk through solid steel". Everyone there looked at each other with concern. "Sir, with all due respect, you can't expect me to open the doors and let you of all people out, especially by yourself". John took a step forwards, causing the captain to take a small step back in fear. "With all due respect captain, if you don't open the door now, I'll have you demoted and I'll put you in the tunnels, You'll be digging for years, so open the doors, now!".

The captain again nearly fell over in shock. He waited and waited for John to show he was joking but John showed he was serious by gripping his rifle tighter. The captain turned to the others and nodded. Everyone scrambled to their positions, aiming their rifles and mounted weapons at the doors. The captain moved towards a control panel and typed in the access code. The doors slowly began to open, slowly revealing the darkness of the outside world. The captain pressed the button again and the doors stopped opening, leaving only a small gap large enough for John to go through. John looked at the captain, who looked fearfully back at him. "No one is to know I've gone, made sure everyone here keeps their mouths shut, understand?". he captain nodded quickly, looking more fearful that no one would know that John Connor is going off alone through the wastelands outside. John knew what he was doing was stupid, even suicidal stupid, but he wasn't thinking about anything else anymore, not the war, not what was at risk, but of Cameron, the images of her face in his mind almost blinding him.

John stepped forwards and pushed himself through the gap in the doors. As he got out, he turned and watched as the door closed behind him. Once it did close, John turned and saw before him what was left of LA. Every time he saw what was left of the city, he could always picture how it once looked like, with towering buildings and streets full of people. Now, there were no towering building, no streets full of people, just the remains of those buildings and people. John moved away from the doors and in to the city, moving as quickly and quietly as possible.

John found it hard to recognise which way he was going, forcing to go to higher ground to see where he was. This was a huge risk as every time he did so, he could see machines. HK aerials were In the sir, flying with their spotlights on, searching for any Humans. Crouching down so he would not to be noticed, he watched as a group of machines went by. Twenty machines of different kinds, T eight hundreds, T seven hundreds and T six hundreds. John was sure the T eight hundreds were T triple eights, they looked similar to those he saw with out their skin. Only the T six hundreds had skin on them, though it was obvious that it was rubber instead of skin covering the metal underneath. Once the machines had passed, John pressed on, finding himself moving faster and faster as he became more desperate to get Cameron back.

He came upon a clearing, rubble forming a circle shape around him. In the centre was an old playground, with swings and slides. John moved quickly in to the playground, intending to get to the other side as quick as possible. Crouching beside the slide, he quickly regretted it and wished he had gone around. Through out the park were the skeletal remains of people, most of them children. From the position they were lying in, John could tell the children's parents had attempted to shield their children from the nuclear fire. It didn't matter how may times John saw a sight like this, it never got any easier seeing the dead, especially children.

Before he could move away, the spotlights of an HK aerial hit John in the face. The HK aerial came in to view, flying towards him quickly. It fired two shots at John, hitting the ground in front of him. John threw himself under the slide as the HK aerial flew over John and turned around to make another pass. John spotted a ruined car and began running towards hit, being thrown back as the HK aerial fired again, hitting the ground in front of him. John ran back and crouched behind the slide again. As the machine came in for a third pass, John fired a few times with his plasma rifle, doing little to no damage as the machine was too large to be affected by such a small weapon. The machine fired and hit the slide shattering the bones of a child that lay upon it, John dived for his life, only just again getting out of the way.

He wished more then anything now he had brought some solders with him, this was a stupid move for him to make, coming out in to the city alone. He remembered what Cameron had said to him all those years ago, when they lay on the bed together, before John sneaked out to go to Mexico with Riley. Cameron had said, " But, sometimes you do stupid things. It would help me to understand why". This was one of those stupid things John had done. John felt the colour drain from his face as a machine patrol appeared.

The twenty machines spotted John and advanced on him. They didn't fire their weapons at John. He could only guess they wanted to capture him. John, not having any intension of getting captured, fired at the advancing machines, destroying two of them with shots too the head. The machine's changed tactics upon seeing two of their number fall to the ground and opened fire at John, pinning him behind the rubble he was crouching behind. John didn't have a chance to raise his rifle and fire back, as the machine's never tired in firing their weapons. John lay back on to the ground, waiting for a machine to come in to view from above his cover so to fire and destroy it. He could easily call for help, but he was miles from any Resistance bunker, no one would get here in time, not even for him.

Once a machine did come in to view, he fired, taking off its head. A second came in to view and John did the same again, but a third machine reached out and swung its arm, hitting the rifle out of John's hands. The T triple eight, with its red eyes, stood over John for a split second, before raising its weapon and aimed at his head. John hated himself for failing her, for failing Cameron, he promised her he would get her back, but now he was going to die trying because he didn't want to risk the lives of anyone else. He could see the machines finger move on the trigger, about to kill him, but something happened that John didn't expect to happen. "Hey!". Both the machine and John looked up, seeing Allison standing there, a rocket launcher on her shoulder. John's eyes widened in complete shock as she fired at the machine standing over John, blowing it apart before it could kill him.

John felt the blast hit him, but he was only grazed. Another rocket was fired from somewhere, hitting the HK aerial as it made another pass. Its right engine destroyed, it fell to the ground at full speed, blowing up upon impact. John reached for his rifle, diving back in to the cover behind the rubble. John was immediately joined by Allison, who was now holding her own plasma rifle. She didn't say anything, but John could tell she was angry. The machines still in the clearing began firing John and Allison, not having a clear shot. The machines quickly changed the aim as they were attacked from all sides. John could seeing the outlines of people in the rubble around the clearing firing at the machines. John and Allison both rose from their cover and joined the barrage. The machines not having a clear shot at any of them, were quickly all destroyed, leaving a pile of them on the ground of the park. Once it was clear the machines were all dead, Allison waved her hand in the air, and the people who had just helped save John's life, came out of their hiding places, rifles held up in case of another attack.

John stood up with Allison, who promptly slapped him across the face. John was nearly thrown off his feet as she hit him so hard. Turning back to her, she raised her had to slap him again. "That's for coming out here by yourself and trying to get yourself killed!". She then lowered her hand and hugged John tightly. "This is for not getting yourself killed". John, still shocked about Allison being here, let alone her slapping him, put his arm around her, hugging her back. "How did you find me?". Allison pulled away, looking a little offended. "I checked your room about thirty seconds after you left, I saw your rifle had gone. I missed you leaving the base and got the captain to tell me which direction you went in". "I told him not to tell anybody where I had gone". "Yeah, well, he didn't at first but then I threatened to shoot him in the knees if he didn't tell me, that kind of loosened his tongue, once he did talk, I left Liz in charge of Home Plate and Bedell sent Kyle and these solders to meet me about a mile back from Hammerhead bunker. We saw the machine fire at you and here we are".

The solders at this point surrounded John and Allison, all keeping an eye out for machines. Kyle stepped forwards from among them and saluted John, who rolled his eyes and saluted back. "Your insane Connor, what are you doing out here alone?". John didn't want to go in to details on what he was doing. "It's a long story, I'm going home to get something I need". The all looked around at hearing an exploding sound in the distance. John stepped forwards, seeing the explosion in the distance through a gap in the rubble. Allison stood beside John, deep in thought before looking at John. "Your going to get her, your getting mom, aren't you?". John slowly nodded his head. Allison's face was full of mixed emotions, from excitement to disappointment. "You should have told me dad, I would have come with you". "Exactly, last time, I got shot saving you and you nearly died, I wasn't going to put you in harms way again, or anybody else, that's why I came alone". Allison put her hand on his shoulder. "You're an idiot for coming alone, and an idiot to think I wouldn't find out".

Kyle cut across them both before anything more could be said. "Sorry, but if we stay, we'll be found, the machines would have seen the explosion here, we need to move, we're waiting for orders sir!". Kyle waited for John to give an order, expecting him to say they were going back to Home Plate, but John had no intension to go back, he had come this far, gone for so long with out Cameron. "Me and Allison are going west, to my old home, there's something there I need". "Then we're going with you sir, everyone move out". The solders seemed to have been listening in as they all began moving west as soon as Kyle gave the order.

As they got closer and closer to Cameron, they witnessed two more passing machine patrols, letting them go by with out giving away themselves. John didn't know how they did it or how they got there, but he found himself walking up what was left of the street at his old home. Where his house once stood came in to view, the trees and small forest that once surrounded it were now burnt remains and the house itself was now gone. From the looks of it, the house had been flattened by an HK tank passing through it. John stopped before the house, knowing that just below him, Cameron was lying in standby mode waiting for him to wake her up. He tried to find the entrance to the basement but it had long been covered by the rubble from the house. John, with Allison behind him, walked through where the front door once stood at the bottom of where the stairs once were. Allison looked around, seemingly taking in every detail of John's old house. John pointed to the burnt remains of a couch in the room. Allison's gaze followed his finger. "You were born here, on that couch".

Allison looked surprisingly at John before moving to the couch, crouching down beside it. Kyle stepped in next to John, leaving the solders outside, to keep watch for machines. John looked around and saw them setting up a perimeter, crouching beside old trees and rubble. John looked around the house, looking for an opening, finding one just outside where the backdoor used to be, large enough for John to walk in and out of. "Kyle, stay here and keep watch, no one goes down here, okay?". "Yes sir", before he took position next to the opening. Allison followed John in too the basement. They could see clearly that the door leading outside had been destroyed by being crushed from the rubble from the house above them. John went to the door that led downstairs to the lower basement and opened it. He headed down slowly, followed by Allison. They entered the only room there, seeing that half of the room had collapsed under the strain of the house being crushed from above. John could see that it had collapsed on top of where Cameron was.

Moving quickly, he began throwing the boxes out of the way as Allison watched, confused on what he was doing. "Dad, what are you doing?". John ignored her, his mind fixed on Cameron. He couldn't see her anywhere, until he finally threw a box out of the way and there she was. Cameron was lying exactly where he had left her, on the mattress. The ceiling near her had caved in, a large chunk of concrete had landed on top of her. John mustered all his strength and moved the concrete, much to Allison's surprise. With the concrete out of the way, John could now see Cameron clearly for the first time in six and a half years, she looked just as beautiful as the last time her saw her. Allison came from behind, seeing Cameron herself for the first time. "Is she okay?, she doesn't look okay". She was right, Cameron's skin was very pale. "I don't know, I'll have to wake her to know". Allison bent down next to Cameron, taking her left hand. She looked at Cameron's finger, seeing the same brown string as was around John's finger.

Allison stepped back, as John sat next to Cameron. This was all he had waited for, he had waited six and a half years for this moment. He moved his head down to her ears and whispered. "Cameron, wake up". He moved his head away and waited but Cameron didn't move. He tried again, moving himself down to her. "Cameron, please wake up". He waited and waited but Cameron didn't move, she wasn't waking up. John became increasing desperate, shaking Cameron and calling her name but she didn't wake, she remained still. Allison began to cry silently from the other side of the room. "Dad, we can't stay here, we need to go back".

"I'm not leaving her Allison, I've waited too long for her, too long to see her again, I won't leave her". But as John spoke, tears fell down his face, as his heart broke. Allison watched as her father broke down completely. She tried to comfort him, but John pushed her away, unable to accept that Cameron was gone. He tried repeatedly to wake her, but nothing happened, she was dead, gone forever. John rested Cameron's head on his lap and couldn't keep is eyes off her. As time went by, both John and Allison had stopped crying, both remained silent. "Dad, we need to go now!". John slowly nodded his head, hating himself for doing it. Allison stood up and walked slowly to the door, before turning. "Dad?". John didn't take his eyes off Cameron as he spoke next, "I'll meet you in a minute, tell Kyle to get ready to move out, back to Home Plate". Allison nodded and left up the stairs, more tears falling down her cheeks. John waited until he couldn't hear Allison's footsteps.

He didn't want to leave, didn't want to go on with out Cameron, but everyone else needed him and Allison needed him. He hated himself even more and knew he would hate himself for the rest of his life as he made the decision to leave. He looked down at his wife, feeling exactly how he felt when he was about to burn her body after the jeep explosion. He leant down one last time to her ear and whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I love you, I love you so much". He moved towards her face, kissing her deeply on the lips, for the last time. He didn't realise at first, but Cameron's lips had begun to move in union with his. Cameron's fingers began to twitch and her right hand rose up, coming to the back of John's head. It was only when he felt her hand touch his head he relished she was awake. Pulling away, he watched as her eye lids slowly opened, the brown chocolate eyes he fell in love with coming in to view.

She pulled John back down to her, kissing him again. Suddenly, Cameron gasped out for air, couching loudly as if she had been drowning. John pulled her up until she sat straight. Cameron hands darted to her chest and her teeth clenched together in pain. She looked like she was going to pass out. John reached forwards and felt her chest. Beneath her skin, her heart beat was back, but it was beating so fast, it would have killed a normal human. John moved himself behind Cameron, catching her as she fell back. "Cameron!, I got you, don't worry, I've got you". Cameron's breathing slowly began to slow down to what could be seen as normal for someone who had just ran the marathon, twice. "I slept for so long, too long". John couldn't believe it, Cameron had woken up finally, she was going to be alright. Cameron's eyes flickered open and closed again.

"I dreamt for so long, he kept his face hidden, he tortured me. He made me tell him things I didn't understand, I didn't know what I was saying, I never knew what I was saying". John didn't know what she was talking about, he could only guess she had had a nightmare, a six and a half year nightmare. "And then, I heard your voice in the dark, calling to me". She opened her eyes and focussed on John. "I love you, John Connor". Cameron's eyes closed and she passed out, remaining still again. "Cameron?". John thought she had fallen asleep permanently for a second, but he quickly noticed her chest rising and falling as she breathed. John, relived, held Cameron and picked her up, holding her in his arms. John, moved himself out of the room and up the stairs. John stepped in to the basement room, finding both Kyle and Allison waiting for him.

As John stepped in to the room, Kyle looked shocked at seeing who John had in his arms while Allison looked equally as shocked. "Dad, she's not going to wake up, I'm sorry but….". She stopped as Cameron moaned in his arms, moving herself slightly. Allison's eyes widened, a large smile forming on her face. "She woke up!, is she okay?". John looked down at Cameron, already the colour had begun to return to her skin. "I think she'll be fine, we just need to get her home". John looked to Kyle, "Get everyone ready, we're going home". Kyle nodded and took a radio out of his pocket. "Home Plate, come in, Liz, you there?". John could hear Liz's voice call back through the radio. "Kyle!, thank god, what's your situation, have you got Connor?". "Yes, the Connor's are secure, all three of them". "Three? What do you mean all three of them?, there's only two!". "Not any more, we've got John Connor, Allison Connor and now Cameron Connor, all three are alive and well". "Cameron, he found Cameron!, at least she's safe, get the Connor's back here as soon as possible". "Will do, over and out". Kyle put the radio back in his pocket and led John and Allison out of the basement, back outside. The solders looked in awe at John as he walked past them holding Cameron. Allison walked beside John as they walked. "She's more beautiful then in the picture". John looked down at Cameron again. "Yes, she is".

The group headed straight back to Home Plate, only stopping to take cover when an HK aerial came in to view. Once they got back to home plate, the doors silently opened and the group headed inside. Liz was waiting for them just inside, as was hundreds of other people, both civilian and solder. The solders closest to the door waited until the doors had closed before lowering their weapons and staring. John stopped in front of Liz as she looked down at Cameron, who moaned again as the lights from the ceiling shined down on her face. "I know why you went alone John, and I don't blame you, just don't go alone again, okay, take her home, go on".

John, grateful, gave Liz a nod of appreciation and walked through the motor pool, Allison behind him. Everyone John passed stopped what they were doing to watch as John carried Cameron through the base. Kyle followed John with four solders. John and Allison stepped in to their home, stopping to listen as Kyle ordered the solders to guard the room. John lay Cameron on to his bed, watching as she moved herself on to soft mattress, getting herself comfortable. "Dad, I'm tired, I'm going to bed". "What?, don't you want to meet her". "She's here now, I've got my entire life to get to know her, I'll see her tomorrow, in any case, I think I'll leave you alone with her". She kissed John on the cheek and then kissed Cameron on the forehead. "Glad you're here mom". She then left the room, leaving John and Cameron alone.

John lay next to Cameron, who immediately moved herself closer to him, wrapping her arm across his chest as she always did. John wrapped his arm around her, as she stirred and awoke again. She turned her head to John, moving herself and kissing him deeply. "You kept you promise, I didn't think you would come back for me". "I never break my promises, especially not a promise I make to you". She smiled and kissed him again, before moaning in frustration. "What's wrong?, are you alright?". "I slept for so long, I need time to adjust, that's all". She rested her head on his chest before again falling asleep. John could tell by the sound of her voice that she was exhausted, but she was also happy. John found himself drifting off to sleep as well. For the first time in six and a half years, he could go to sleep with the knowledge that Cameron was safe, she was with him again, he had her back.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Allison lay in her bed, tossing and turning as she tried to sleep. It had been only hours since she had seen Cameron, the person she's considered to be her mother for the past six and a half years for the first time. Allison was both nervous and excited. She didn't know which she felt stronger about. She had always wanted to meet Cameron, ever since she first saw the picture of Cameron holding her as a baby, and Cameron finally being here, just in the next room filled her with excitement. But that feeling in the back of her mind, of what Cameron would think of her, ate away at her excitement. John had always said that Cameron always wanted a family of her own, and it wasn't until two nights ago that John confirmed to Allison why she couldn't have children. Cameron was a machine, but not like the other machines out there. From what John had told her, Cameron has evolved past what she used to be.

Her personality grew, she developed emotions and attachments and even fell in love, fell in love so much that it almost killed her. Allison thought of herself as John Connor's daughter and therefore, Cameron's daughter. But what kept going through her mind was what if Cameron didn't want her. Cameron wanted a family of her own, her own children, would she want a thirteen years old teenager as a daughter?.

Giving up trying to get to sleep, she threw her blanket off her and got out of bed, gasping as her feet touched the cold floor. Finding some spare socks in the box next to her bed which housed her spare clothes, she put them on and walked towards John's room, and looked through the gap of the ajar door. Both Cameron and John were asleep on the bed, Cameron's arm across John's chest . Allison noticed that John had Cameron's hair entwined with his fingers, just as he always said he did. This brought a smile to her face because though he was asleep, John for the first time in her knowing him, looked truly happy, truly complete. Though Allison had always done he best to make her father happy, she knew that he would never be happy unless he got Cameron back. Now that she was back in his life, she wondered how much John would change, for better or worse, John was her father, she loved him, and always will.

Allison next hear footsteps in the corridor outside. Focussing, she could hear the steps of five people, getting louder as they neared the room. Doing exactly what John had taught her, she turned back and walked towards her box of clothes. Reaching behind the box, she took out her plasma rifle from its place and readied herself, aiming at the door. Allison was only thirteen years old, but that never stopped her getting in to the thick of a fire fight when she had the chance. John had taught her how to shoot and he had told her he was only second best to Cameron with her aim. This gave a sense of pride to Allison, especially when she proved she was better in front of solders who have had more experience at fighting then she did. In Allison's view, she learnt from the best and her dad was better then them all.

The footsteps stopped outside the door, Allison heard someone silently knocking on the door, three times. Allison didn't move, instead on answering the door, she called out to the person on the other side, making sure she was loud enough to be heard, but also quiet enough not to wake John and Cameron. "Name and code?, identify yourself or I'll fire!". Allison waited for the reply, and heard Liz's voice coming from the other side. "Elizabeth Anderson, chief lieutenant, operational specialty, Tech Com. You know me as Liz, you've called me auntie Liz since you were seven years old". Satisfied, Allison lowered her weapon, but kept it ready just in case something was to go wrong. She walked to the door and typed in the eight digit code in to the code panel next to the door. The door unlocked and opened. Allison stepped back, allowing Liz to push the door open and step inside the room. Allison could see four solders standing guard outside. Liz closed the door behind her, before turning to look at Allison, noticing that she didn't look tired and hence wasn't asleep when she knocked at the door.

"What are you doing up at this time?, you should have been asleep hours ago". Allison, sat on the edge of her bed, dropping her plasma rifle beside her. "I can't sleep, I've tried but I can't, I can't get her out of my head". Liz walked towards John's room, knowing Cameron was asleep in there before looking back at Allison. "Cameron Connor?, its strange saying her name, John tired so hard to not talk about her, even to you, it hurt him every time". Allison smiled before looking at the door to John's room. "I haven't spoken to her yet, she doesn't know who I am". Liz raised her arms and Allison got up, wrapping her own arms around her. "She will, once she's better, she will know you, and she'll love you, she can't not love you, look at you, your beautiful, headstrong, stubborn like your father". Allison smirked and stepped back as Liz put he hands on her shoulders. "And you're a Connor, that's your name, and that name is a symbol, one everyone looks up to, listens out for, what can Cameron see that she can't love in you, nothing, absolutely nothing, so don't worry".

Allison smiled again as Liz lowered her arms. "What are you here for?, you didn't come here to talk to me, especially at this time". Liz looked a little taken aback but smiled never the less. "I've always got time for you, you call me auntie Liz for a reason, And yes, I need your dad, I just need to talk to him for a minute". Allison turned and walk towards the door leading to John's room. Looking through the gap of the ajar door, she could clearly see John and Cameron asleep on the bed. Cameron's arm across John's chest, their faces facing each other and barely an inch apart from one another. John had his fingers entwined with her hair, where he had been stroking it before falling asleep. "Both of them are asleep, do you really need him now, can't it wait until later". Liz appeared behind her, looking in to the room. "I don't want to wake him, either of them but I need his permission to send supplies and weapons to Perry in Long beach". A wide smile formed on Allison's face, she stepped back an turned to face Liz. "I'm not waking him, you have my permission to send the supplies to Perry".

"Liz tried hard not to laugh but quickly controlled herself at seeing the serious look in Allison's face. "Erm, no offence, but I need his permission, he's in charge". "Yes, he's in charge, but you need a Connor's permission, I'm a Connor, so I'm giving you the order, send Perry the supplies he needs, its what dad would have said anyways". Liz look surprised but even more so, she looked pleased. She gave Allison a smile and nodded. "Okay, fair enough, you're a Connor, we all follow Connor's orders, on one condition, you get some sleep, you looked like your ready to collapse". Allison nodded and hugged Liz again before leading her back to the front door. Liz opened it and stepped out, the four solders standing to attention at once. "See you later Allison, remember, get some sleep, take some pills if you have to". Liz then walked down the corridor, the four solders following her in quick succession. Allison closed the door entered the code to lock it again and then walked back to the doorway to John's room, watching John and Cameron sleep.

Despite what Liz had said, Allison had no intension of trying to get some sleep, and even if she did try and sleep, she knew that the excitement of Cameron being there would prevent her from sleeping. Instead, she watched her sleep from the doorway. Quickly wanting a better view, she slipped in to the room and stood at John's side of the bed, seeing Cameron's sleeping face clearly. As Allison watched, she noticed that Cameron didn't look a day older then she did in the picture. Allison turned and went back in to her own room, finding her picture of Cameron, John and her as a baby before heading back John's room. Standing over them again, Allison compared the John and Cameron in the picture to John and Cameron asleep on the bed. John had noticeably gotten older and had a scar on his cheek. The only difference Allison could make out on Cameron was her hair seemed to be a little longer then it was in the picture. Other then her hair, she looked exactly the same as she did seventeen years ago.

Allison backed off quickly as Cameron moved in her sleep, pushing herself in to John, who responded by doing the same to her. She could see a small smile appear on Cameron's face as she pressed herself against John, getting herself more comfortable. Allison, as carefully as possible, opened Cameron's hand and placed the photograph in it. She then closed Cameron's hand over the photograph. Allison kept her hand on Cameron's, surprised on how warm it felt as she expected her to be as cold as ice. Before going back to her room, she let go of Cameron's hand and moved it to her chest, pressing her hand against it. She could feel her Cameron's chest rise and fall as she breathed and she could also could feel her heart beat, beating at a calm, peaceful pace. Smiling, she leant forwards and kissed Cameron on the forehead and quickly did the same to John before backing out of the room. With one last look at Cameron's hand, seeing that the photograph was firmly in place, she closed the door and got herself in to her own bed. Pulling the blanket over herself, she lay back and wondered what Cameron will do when she wakes up and has the picture in her hand. Wondering what Cameron would say, Allison became drowsy and her head fell to the pillow, and she finally gave in to sleep.

Almost half and hour past before anyone in either rooms moved again, and that someone was Cameron. Her eyes slowly opening, Cameron's first thought was that she was still dreaming. But she quickly remembered John had woken her up, after six and a half long years. Allowing her eyes to focus, the first thing she saw was John's face, his eyes closed in a deep sleep in front on her. Smiling, she moved herself as carefully as possible to not wake him, she kissed him lightly on the lips, savouring every second of it. Pulling herself away, she lay her head back down on to the pillow, remembering her dream, her nightmare. For so long, Cameron in her dream, found herself imprisoned in a dark room, with four walls but no door. Cameron at first tried to punch her way through out of the room through the wall, but she didn't have the strength anymore, she was human, her body full of flesh, bone and blood. The room was so dark that she couldn't see one side of the room from the other. Out of nowhere, someone would appear, his face hidden beneath a balaclava.

Who ever the man was, he would torture her, he would tie Cameron up with rope, and without her strength, she couldn't fight back. He would then pour water over her, giving her the sensation of drowning, which scared her more then anything in the world. After a while, she found herself saying things to him, things she didn't understand. Not once did she know what he was forcing her to say. It went on and on, for over six long years. Then she remembered that out from no where, she heard John's voice in the darkness, calling out to her. The man torturing her became scared and disappeared, leaving her alone in the room. John's voice got louder and louder, and Cameron found herself in John's arms, in the basement of their old home. He kissed her, thinking she was dead, but she kissed him back, summoning all her strength to show him she was alive. Cameron remembered the intensity of her feelings the moment she was kissing John when he woke her. She was more in love with him at that moment then she was at any other time in her life.

As Cameron watched John sleep, she realised she was holding something. Holding it up, she smiled as she saw herself holding baby Allison all those years ago, with John sitting beside her. She remembered the day before that picture was taken. It was her birthday, she had helped Kacy give birth to Allison. Later that day, John brought her a diamond necklace and finally told her that he loved her. It had been one of the happiest days of her life. Pressing her lips against John's again, this time she kissed him deeply with the intent of waking him up. John did indeed wake up and kissed her back, he raised his free hand to Cameron's head and pulled her deeper in to the kiss. She moaned loudly as she ran her lips across John's before the broke the kiss and stared in to each others eyes. "Not that I'm complaining, but what's with the nice wake up kiss?".

Cameron simply smiled. "You woke me the same way, I'm just returning the favour". John retuned the smile and Cameron rose her hand to John's face, only then noticing that she had something grasped in her hand. Bringing it in to view, she saw the photograph of herself holding Allison as a baby with John next to her. She smiled and lowered the picture, kissing John again. "I didn't know you kept this, I thought you lost it before Judgement day". John took the picture from her and looked at it, knowing full well that this was Allison's picture, not his. "I did loose mine, I don't know what happened to mine, but this picture belongs to Allison, not me". Cameron's eyes widened in shock, she didn't even know Allison had survived Judgement day. "Allison?, Kacy's baby?". John nodded and looked towards the door, with Cameron quickly following his gaze. Cameron quickly looked back to John. "She's here?". John again nodded and Cameron turned and got off the bed. Standing up, she fell straight back to the bed again, feeling weak and light headed. Having not stood on her feet for over six years, Cameron wasn't used to standing. John got himself up and walked around the bed and held out his hand to Cameron. Pulling her to her feet, Cameron put her hand on his shoulder to balance herself.

They slowly walked towards the door. John led her in to the doorway and Cameron gasped loudly when seeing Allison asleep on the bed. To Cameron, it seemed like it was only last week when see last saw her, and that she could carry Allison in her arms. John watched as Cameron slowly walked over to Allison and knelt down next to the bed, watching her sleep. Cameron noticed Allison was shivering in her sleep due to the cold so she pulled her blanket over her. Cameron turned to look at John. "She's so beautiful". Cameron was nearly in tears at the sight of Allison. "How did you find her?". John stepped forwards and knelt down next to Cameron. "She was only seven when Kacy died. The machines caught her and brought her to the camp". Cameron moved the blanket down Allison again and moved her arm so she could see her work camp tattoo. At seeing the tattoo, she closed her eyes and blinked back the tears and Cameron's hatred of Skynet began to grow stronger within her. She pulled the blanket back over Allison who moved in her sleep. "We found each other and she gave me a reason to fight harder, she needed me as much as I needed her". Cameron and John made no sudden movements or noise until Allison remained still again in her sleep. Cameron learnt forwards and kissed her on the forehead. John stood up and led Cameron back to their bedroom. Cameron wrapped her arms around him, tears falling from her eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?".

"I've been gone for six years and I wake up to find I've got a daughter, I never thought I would have a family but you've given me one, I love you so much". John was a little taken aback but happy never the less. He held Cameron tight as she cried tears of 's watch began to beep, making John groan loudly. He held up his wrist and turned the watch off. "I've got to go to the command centre, do you want to stay here and wait for Allison to wake up?". Cameron instantly shook her head. "No, I'm not letting you out of my sight, I've spend to long with out you, but will she be alright by herself?". Both John and Cameron headed to the door, before looking to Allison in the bed in the corner of the room. "She'll be fine, she always is, she's a lot like you that way". Cameron smiled widely as John opened the door and stepped outside, Cameron followed him in to the corridor, looking both left and right, seeing that it was empty. With one last look inside, John closed the door and they headed in the direction to the command centre.

As they walked, they passed a group of solders on their way back to their rooms after a long shift. He moment they saw John, they saluted him. When they saw Cameron, they all stared with fascination and disbelief. When they got out of earshot of the solders, Cameron turned to John. "What are they staring at me for?". John turned to Cameron and smiled. "I think the rumour that Cameron Connor is here has spread". The closer they got to the command centre, they began to pass through security checkpoints, each heavily guarded. Every time they went through, all the solders stared at Cameron in awe, making her go red in the face every time they did. Once they finally reached the command centre, everyone went quiet and stared, making Cameron feel more out of place then ever. John found Liz, who was also staring at Cameron. "Liz?". Liz didn't respond, she just stared at Cameron as if John wasn't there. "LIZ!". Liz snapped out her trance. "Sorry!". John looked up at everyone else, who instantly got back to doing what they were doing, each of them glancing at Cameron every now and then. "Liz, what's going on!". John pointed at the screen on the wall, showing supplies being readied for transport.

"Yeah, Perry needs the supplies at Long beach, if he doesn't get it soon, we'll loose the harbour". "Yeah I know we'll loose the harbour, but who gave the order to ready the supplies?, I didn't". Liz instantly took a small step back and looked at the floor. "Allison did, you and Cameron were asleep, she didn't want to wake either of you, if Perry doesn't get these supplies soon, we loose the harbour, you know that". John looked sternly at Liz, who looked ready to pass out,. Everyone in the room went quiet, not knowing what John was going to do, but everyone, including Liz, signed in relive when John smiled at her. "You know that I would have sent the supplies anyways, if Allison gave the order, then that's fine, don't worry about it". Cameron watched from the corner, acting like a bodyguard with out realising it. John nodded to Cameron to come over to him, which she did. "Liz, this is Cameron, Cameron, this is Liz". Cameron nervously raised her hand, and Liz took it. "At least I know why he went out by himself to go looking for you, and I can't blame him". Cameron looked at John raising her eye brows. "You went out alone?". John stepped back as Cameron stared at him in disbelief. Liz was nearly laughing at John at seeing Cameron's face. "He nearly got himself killed, I wasn't there, but I was told that he had a machine standing over him, then Allison saved him". Cameron looked from one to the other. "How did she save him?".

"She blew the machine up with a rocket launcher". Liz smiled and left Cameron alone, completely stunned. "A thirteen year old girl saved you with a rocket launcher". Both John and Cameron smirked widely, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. Liz appeared next to John, holding out a radio. "Perry's on the other end, he's got information of Skynet movements". John took the radio from her and held it up. "Perry, it's Connor, report!". "Connor, Skynet activity is high near your location, at the supply depot at Home Plate. Aerials, Tanks, and the standard machines". John pointed to on of the solders near the door. "Confirm that!". The solder immediately got his radio and began talking. Cameron took the time to access one of the computer terminals, and got a map of the base on screen, quickly putting the map to memory. "The solder looked up, "Sir, I can't contact the supply depot". John held the radio up again. "Perry, I'll get back to you, we've got problems". "We have them everyday sir". John handed the radio back to Liz. "Who was in charge of the supply depot today?". Liz closed her eyes, thinking then opened them again in horror. "Robertson!". Everyone including Cameron turned around. Cameron knew Robertson from before she was sent back to protect John. Robertson was just a captain in charge of the supplies but he was over confident, cocky and thought he was better then everyone else. When it became clear he wasn't going to be given the leadership of the resistance like he wanted, he betrayed John and the resistance which resulted in half of the resistance leadership being killed.

That time, Cameron had saved John and then hunted down Robertson and killed him before he could give Skynet the locations of the other resistance bunkers. Cameron immediately walked to one of the terminals next to Liz and began typing. Liz and John watched as she worked on the wall screen, seeing everything she was doing. Cameron quickly got passed all the security that was in place and got full access to the database, including some files that were for Tech-com members only. Liz stepped forwards. "How the hell did you do that, only John knows how to bypass that security program". Cameron looked up to Liz. "I married him, didn't I? ". She smiled and accessed the cameras to the supply depot. The cameras to the supply depot came on to the wall screen, showing nothing but corpses, burning supplies and a lot of machines. Everyone went quiet, all of them looking to John. Cameron stood up. "Captain Robertson's a traitor, he let the machines in". John stepped to the side and pressed the big red button on the wall. The alarms sounded an the movements of hundreds of people were heard from all around. They watched on the wall screen as the machines breached off In to groups and moved towards the corridors leading away from the depot. "Liz, get firing squads to those corridors and make sure the civilians are protected, now!". Liz immediately began to work, as did everyone else. "John!".

Cameron shouted over and waved her hand to John to come to her. Once he did, she lowered her voice so only he could hear her. "Before you sent me back, Robertson betrayed you and the resistance, the other you ordered me to kill him before he could give any vital information away". John cut across her, "Then he needs to be stopped". Cameron nodded and John frowned, not liking the idea of killing someone he thought he knew. "Sir!". One of the solders threw a radio to John, who caught it. "Sir, I know Robertson, that's his voice". John, Cameron and Liz crowed together to listen. "Follow this path to John Connor, you will have him and his Tech-com leaders". All three of them looked to the wall screen and watched as the traitor came in to view on the camera, leading at least twenty machines towards one of the corridors.

Both John and Cameron felt a sinking feeling in their guts, something which Cameron had only twice experienced before. "Another solder came forwards, "Sir, the machines have broken through our checkpoints, civilians are being killed or rounded up". John hit his fists against the wall, knowing if the machines had got that far, then Home Plate was lost. "Okay, everyone listen up!". Everyone stopped what they were doing. "We've lost Home Plate, get the firing squads to the civilians and evacuate as many as possible, Destroy all the computers, don't let Skynet capture anything it can use. After that, retreat to your exits". Everyone nodded and sprang into action downloading the terminals on to portable hard drives and disks. Once they were done, they began planting explosives on the computers terminals.

Before the explosives could be set, the door at the far wall began to buckle under a constant barrage of force. "That was quick, everyone, arm yourselves". John opened a box near him and took out two plasma rifles, throwing one to Cameron. Under the barrage of the machines, the door was thrown off its hinges. The machines, one by one, both T ones and T six hundreds, began pouring through, firing their weapons. John, Cameron, Liz and everyone else began firing back. The machine's outnumbered them three to one, but the machines didn't have what everyone else in the room did, a strong human instinct to survive. John took cover behind an overturned desk, while Cameron took cover by the terminal she was working on. John, Cameron and the others had an advantage that they were spread out through the room, while the machines were coming through one door, allowing John, Cameron and the others to concentrate their fire.

The machines kept coming through the door and became trapped in a bottleneck, unable to move forwards or backwards. The last machine eventually fell, leaving a large pile of metal by the door. Standing up, John looked and noticed that half of the group were still standing, including Cameron and Liz, but the others were dead. Liz stepped forwards, blood flowing from a large cut on her forehead. "John, we need to get you to safety, if they can get in this far so quick, then your in danger, if you fall, we all fall". Cameron immediately stepped forwards. "I'm not going anywhere without Allison". John quickly handed Cameron a spare pistol and a radio. "Just in case, be careful, I'll wait for you in the motor pool". Cameron kissed John and quickly left without another word. John was then led out through another door by Liz and the others, all of them firing their way through the machines on their way to safety.

At the other end of the base, Allison had been woken up by the alarms going off. She sat bolt upright, looking around the room for the source of the noise. When she released it was the alarms, she muttered, Shit!", and leapt out of bed, pulling on what ever clothes she could find. Once dressed she ran I to John's room, finding that both John and Cameron were already gone. Allison spotted her photograph on the bed side table and moved over, picked it up and pocketed it. Allison smiled as she knew Cameron would have seen it and hopefully, she would know who she is. The alarms went silent briefly then changed to a louder volume. Allison knew this to mean that the machines were inside the base and John had ordered the evacuation. Allison went back in to her room and again took out her plasma rifle, loading it and moved to the door, typing in the code. The door opened and Allison stepped out and was instantly confronted by two solders. "Allison Connor, we've been ordered to move you to a safe location".

Allison and the two solders looked down the corridor to their left as gunfire was heard and people screamed. Machines came from around a corner and began firing at everyone that moved, killing one after another. Allison was flanked by both solders as she ran right, both of them shielding her. As she ran, she heard someone shout, "That's John Connor's daughter, grab her". Allison could hear more gunfire and heard both of the solders scream as they were hit, both falling as Allison turned a corner. Allison ran right in to a pile of bodies and tripped over them. Before she could get up, she saw the feet of a machine advancing on her. Raising her plasma rifle, she fired at it, taking off its arm.

The machine stopped to look at its destroyed arm, giving Allison a chance to rise from the floor and fire again hitting it in the head and watching it fall. She got up and continued on, not knowing where she was going, just keeping herself on the move, never stopping for more then a few seconds to look around corners to see if it was clear to move. Allison tried not to look at the bodies she was stepping over, especially when she was forced to pass some bodies of children to avoid being spotted by two T six hundreds. Allison kept running past groups of people or solders going in different directions, Allison hearing their screams and then gunfire and the silence as she went.

Allison eventually ran in to a large group of T six hundreds, who instantly fired on her. Allison dived in to the closest room. She got up as quickly as possible and closed the door, locking it behind her. She knew that wouldn't stop the machines but it made her feel a little better that the door was locked, but not by much. Allison aimed for the door and waited for the machines to enter. Holding her breath when the one of the machines forced the door open. Allison then hard gun fire outside the room an the door didn't open anymore. She couldn't hear anything but the sound of gun fire and explosions. The door was thrown open with such force by an explosion that t rebounded off the wall and closed again. Then suddenly, the guns went silent and Allison heard nothing. She debated in her mind whether to stay where she was or go to the door and look outside. The door suddenly opened and Allison was shocked to see Cameron standing there, a concerned look on her face. At her feet, were the remains of the T six hundreds. "Mom?". Cameron was just as shocked to find Allison where she was, let alone her calling her "mom". Cameron gave a weak smile as she stepped in to the room. Allison instantly lowered her rifle and stepped forwards. "How did you find me?".

Cameron didn't know how, she just ran in to the T six hundreds and destroyed them, she though Allison was dead. "I thought you were dead, there's so many bodies". Allison saw that Cameron was close to tears and embraced her. Cameron did the same, holding Allison for the first time since she was a baby. "I love you mom". Cameron smiled and a single tear fell down her cheek, never once had she though that anyone would say that to her, "I love you too Allison, now, lets get out of here". Cameron and Allison separated, Cameron checking the corridor to see if it was clear. Allison watched her as she did, noticing that if she didn't know Cameron was a machine beneath the skin, she wouldn't have noticed by the way Cameron was moving her body. Cameron tuned to Allison. "It's clear, lets go". Cameron watched as Allison took hold of her rifle, readying herself.

But before they could move, a single shot was heard as Cameron was shot in the back. She fell forwards, her eyes closing and she lay still. "MOM!". Allison threw her rifle down and dived for Cameron, trying the shake her awake but Cameron remained still. A T six hundred stepped in to the room, grabbing Allison by the throat and pushing her back, holding her against the wall. Behind the machine, captain Robertson stepped inside, smoke coming from the pistol he was holding. "Don't hurt her, yet, that's John Connor's daughter, she'll know where John Connor is building his camp". Allison looked at Robertson, anger and hate in her voice. "You bastard, you traitor, when I'm finished with this machine, I'm going to rip you apart". Robertson smiled and looked down at Cameron. "Cameron Connor, dead after only one bullet, it just proves that the Connors aren't invincible like some say". He then rose his gun and hit Allison across the face and she tasted the telltale metallic of blood in her mouth. Allison didn't show any pain, just anger and hate.

Then she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Two hands had appeared and were slowly making their way to the sides of the T six hundreds head. With one quick movement, the hands grabbed the machines head and twisted it, cutting the power to its chip, its grip on Allison lessened and it fell. As it fell, Allison saw Cameron standing there, anger and disappointment in her face. "What the hell, I killed you". Robertson raised his gun but Cameron was too quick for him, she raised her arms and threw the pistol out of his hands before kicking him hard off his feet, throwing him in to the wall. He fell and moaned in pain, as his back was broken. Allison immediately picked up Robertson's pistol and aimed it for his head, pulling the trigger and killing him. Cameron watched, her eyes wide with shock. Allison noticed this and dropped the pistol. "Hundreds are dead because of him, traitors don't deserve second chances".

Cameron stood again close to tears thinking Allison would reject her because she now knew she was a machine but Allison dropped the bombshell. "I already know what you are, you're my mom, metal or not, that's not going to change, I've already told dad that". "Cameron opened her mouth and closed it again, unable to take in that Allison said. "How did you know?". "When dad has a nightmare, he tends to talk in his sleep, and I heard a lot of things, I worked it out years ago that you were a machine but I don't care, you're my mom". A large explosion shook the room violently, throwing Allison off her feet while Cameron only just managed to keep her balance. "Allison, we can talk about this later, we need to go". Allison nodded and took Cameron's hand as she offered it, getting pulled to her feet. Cameron led the way towards to motor pool. They ran in to another T six hundred, which Cameron quickly dispatched by throwing it in to a wall and crushing its skull. Allison watched open mouthed as she did it. "Mom, I know you can do that, but remember to use the gun".

Cameron smiled at her, knowing she had to keep her cover or she would be killed by the rest of the resistance. They kept on moving, finding a large group of children being led away by two T six hundreds. Two well timed shots, one from Cameron and the other from Allison destroyed the two machines and the children were overjoyed to have been rescued. They reached the motor pool quickly, finding John, Liz and two soldiers standing next to the only remaining truck. John, upon spotting them, was able to breath easy as they approached. John immediately wrapped his arms around Allison. "I thought I lost you". "Don't be stupid dad, I'm fine". John smiled and let her go. Allison smiled at him and began helping the children in to the truck. Cameron and John then embraced and kissed, and even after a huge explosion caused half the room the collapse, they didn't break it. Liz hit John on the back of the head to force him to break the kiss with Cameron. "You two have plenty of time to do that on the way, we have to go, now!".

John made sure he was the last person to get in to the truck. Once he climbed inside, Liz shouted to the driver to go, which he did and they moved out of the base. John looked out the back of the truck and watched as the base disappeared from sight. "Liz sat back an frowned, "That bastard, Robertson, once we find out where he is, we'll capture him and give him what he deserves". Allison cleared her throat and spoke up. "Robertson's dead". Liz looked at her with surprise. "You sure?". Allison looked offended. "Yes, I'm sure, the bullet I put in to his head did the job, I know I didn't miss". Liz looked from Allison, to John, to Cameron and back to Allison again. She shrugged her shoulders, "You are your fathers daughter alright!" and held her radio up. "William, the Connors are en route to the camp, all three are safe, the traitor has already been taken care of, tell Perry that the Connor's are safe". William's voice came back quickly. "Okay, understood, over and out". John sat back and frowned, having lost Home Plate was like moving house all over again, it was only home for a small amount of time, but never the less, it was home. Allison sat to John's left, watching out of the back of the truck as they drove. Cameron sat to John's right, her hand holding his. He turned to her and they kissed again. All three of them, John, Cameron and Allison all felt that they could now face the war, together as a family.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Only hours after Home Plate fell to the machines, the resistance was in a state of shock. Not only was the headquarters of the resistance now gone, but a rumour that John Connor himself was killed in the attack spread like wild fire through out the resistance. Under the strain of Skynet's attacks and the low morale at the loss of their leader, the resistance was close to breaking point and Skynet was even closer to winning the war. It wasn't until John contacted every bunker and announced he was still alive, that the resistance fought back furiously, and destroyed every attack force against them. With the secret camp as his new headquarters, John led the war against Skynet.

Only a handful of John's lieutenants knew of the camp's location, making it almost impossible for Skynet to find it. In the months after the loss of Home Plate, the stalemate between the Resistance and Skynet was back in place, with neither side able to make a successful move against the other. The resistance was now known to be led by the Connor's and not just John Connor. Cameron was unwillingly pressed in to a second in command position, though she tried to avoid it due to her past. Though now second in command, Cameron always made a point to show that John was in charge, not her.

In the early morning, John awoke to the sounds of distant explosions, explosions that were to far away to be a danger to them at the camp but close enough to be heard. John frowned at being woken up again so early, he hadn't had a good nights sleep in weeks, his nightmares returning with a vengeance. He turned his head to see Cameron asleep next to him, her hair covering half of her face. He slowly rose his hand and moved her hair out of the way, showing John her face. Her ran his hand along her cheek, making her moan in her sleep softly. He slowly moved himself from under the blanket and off the bed, trying hard not to move to quickly and wake Cameron. Shivering due to the cold, he quickly found and put on his clothes. He turned to see that Cameron was shivering as well, small lumps appearing over her skin, so John reached over and pulled the blanket right around her, wrapping her up with it. She quickly warmed up, smiling in her sleep. John learnt over and kissed her on the forehead before heading for the door.

Stepping out in to the corridor, he was instantly met by Allison, who was in the process of trying to sneak back inside. "Oh shit!, err, hi dad". John closed the door behind him, looking around, he saw that they were alone. "Where were you?, I thought you were in bed". Allison looked to the floor and back to John again, clearly trying to think of an excuse. Unable to come up with one quickly enough, she shook her head in anger. "I just couldn't sleep dad, okay, I went for a walk, that's all". John instantly knew it was a lie, and Allison knew instantly as well that John had realised it. "Come on, lets go for a walk". Allison looked at John with surprise as he walked passed her and down the hall. She shook her head again and followed him. John led the way to the command room, full with terminals and computers. There was only two people inside, as the others were all asleep. Once they saw John and Allison, they stood up and saluted. "You two, you can go home early". They looked at each other with surprise but they didn't argue.

They made their way out of the room,, leaving John and Allison alone. "Sit down!". Allison looked nervously at John but did as she was told, sitting done on the nearest chair and looking towards the floor. John took another hair and sat opposite her. "Allison, ever since we've been here, you've been sneaking out at night, you used to tell me everything, now you don't , what's going on?". Allison continued looking at the floor, not saying anything. "Allison, you haven't slept properly in months, your not eating, you making your self ill, what's wrong?". Allison took a few deep breaths before saying, "I've been doing research". John found this hard to believe. "Research?, What kind of research makes you do it in secret and not tell me about it?". Allison looked like she was going to be sick, her skin was a very pale white. "Allison, tell me, we can sit here all day if you want, your not going anywhere until you tell me what you've been doing". Allison looked at John with anger but her anger quickly faded as she gave in. "I'll show you".

John watched as she stood up and walked over to the nearest computer. John stood up and walked to stand behind her. Allison immediately began access top secret files that only high members of Tech-com could access. "How are you getting in to all this?". Allison turned and looked at John as if h was stupid, and John did feel stupid for asking. He had taught Allison how to hack in to computers when they broke out of Century work camp. Eventually, Allison accessed a file and then moved away from the computer, allowing John to see it. "That's what I've been looking at". John sat down and looked at the file, seeing that it contained all the information captured about Skynet's attempts to grow living tissue. John looked to Allison with surprise. "Why are you looking at this?". Allison again looked at the floor.

"I've figured out how to make it, the skin, Skynet's having trouble but its almost figured it out". John closed the file and turned to Allison. "That's not what I asked, why are you looking at this". Allison reached in to her pocket and took out her photograph and handed it to John, who once again looked at himself sitting next to Cameron with Allison in her arms. "That's why, look at the picture, look at mom, she hasn't changed, she looks exactly the same as she did then, you and me, we don't look the same, we look older". John looked again and saw instantly what she meant. "You and me will keep getting older dad, your going to grow old and die and I'm going to grow old and die, she's not, she's going to stay the same, watch us grow old and then watch us die". For the first time, the thought of growing old without Cameron hit John like a stray bullet. He felt sick that Cameron was going to lose him and Allison eventually, he couldn't change that. "So, why the living tissue". Allison took the picture back from John and put it back in her pocket. "We've been here four months dad, I've spend nearly every night looking at this and I've figured out how to make the skin, it's only a matter of time before I can make organs". John nearly fell off his chair. "Organs?, you want to make organs, what the hell for?".

Allison smiled as she watched John regain his balance on the chair. "Mom's going to lose us, one way or another, you and me are going to die, and she's going to be alone, I don't want her to be alone, she doesn't want to be alone and I doubt you want her to be alone again. If I can get it right, I can grow her a heart, lungs, the whole thing, she'll grow old like us and she'll die a natural death". John though it strange that he was quickly agreeing in his mind to do something that would result in the death of Cameron. Allison smiled at John, knowing full well that the look on his face was one of approval. "You aren't doing anything until you tell Cameron what your planning, it's up to her if she wants what you want to do to her". Allison smiled again. "Not bad for a thirteen year old, is it?". It was John's turn to smile.

"Not really, you'd have to be thirteen". Allison looked confused. "What do you mean, I'm thirteen". "You were yesterday, it's your birthday today, you fourteen now". Allison looked stunned, having forgotten her own birthday. "Happy birthday, Baby". Smiling, she hugged John tightly. "Thanks dad". They stayed, hugging each other for a good five minutes, until they could hear sounds of movement from around them, as people began waking up to start their work. They separated, and Allison stepped back, allowing John to stand. "Right, you go and get some sleep, from today, no more sneaking out and doing this research or anything, do it in the day alright?". Allison nodded her head and yawned in exhaustion. She kissed John on the cheek and left, heading back home to bed.

Passing people as they came out of their rooms, Allison gave weak smiles to everyone who saw her. Most of them smiled back at her, and one person even saluted to her, making her smirk widely. Allison got to the door and pushed it open. Stepping inside, she closed the door as quiet as possible. Walking over to John and Cameron's room, she peered inside and saw Cameron had just woken up. Cameron spotted Allison in the doorway and pulled the blanket further up her body, making sure she was covered. Allison smiled and stepped inside the room. "Morning mom, sleep well?". Cameron straight away knew something was up as Allison only asked that when she wanted to say something. "Yeah, I did, where's Dad?". Allison sat down on the end of the end. "He's at the command centre, doing the usual leading the Resistance stuff".

Cameron smiled and just stared at Allison, waiting for her to say what she wanted. Allison took to staring at the floor again, both wanting and not wanting to tell Cameron what she wanted to do to her. "Allison, what's wrong?". Allison took a couple of deep breaths, before looking at Cameron. "I've been talking with dad and I need to ask you something". Cameron gave Allison her full attention, sitting up and holding the blanket to cover her chest. "Okay, I'm listening, what is it?". Allison again took deep breaths, hoping Cameron wouldn't react badly to what she was going to say. "I've been doing research, on living tissue. I know Skynet's trying to grow it, I've figured out how to grow it completely". Cameron's eyes widened slightly. "You've figured out how to make living tissue?, before Skynet?". Allison nodded nervously but was pleased by the impressed look on Cameron's face. She took out the photograph and handed it to Cameron, who took it with her free had, the other holding the blanket to her chest.

"Dad's got older, you haven't. If you and him stay together, he's going to keep getting older and your not, he's going to die and your going to keep on living". Unlike John, Cameron had thought about this on many occasions, but has never told John. The first time was when she used to go to the library and talk with her friend Eric. He had commented on never growing old and staying beautiful forever. At that moment, Cameron knew she wouldn't age like John would, but pushed it to the back of her mind and tried not to think of it. Cameron tired now again, not to think about it. Allison watched as Cameron's face turned quickly to one of sadness. "Mom, I've learnt everything I can about growing living tissue. If living tissue can be grown, then I think I can grow organs for you, so you can grow old with dad". Cameron sat open mouthed as Allison spoke, but she wasn't shocked or horrified by what she was saying, she was instead excited by it. "Before I was sent back, Skynet tired to make organs and failed, are you sure you an do it?".

It was Allison's turn to be open mouthed. "What?, you want to do it?". Cameron nodded quickly. "I spend over six years asleep without him. I might have been asleep, but I knew I was alone, I hated not being with John, I was scared, terrified with him not being there with me. I don't want to lose him again, I can't lose him again, I love him too much and I love you, I can't lose you either". Allison listened with all her force, making sure she heard every single word clearly. "I don't know if I can make them or not, but I'll try, I'll try for you and for dad". Cameron handed the photograph back to Allison, who put it back in her pocket. She then pulled Allison towards hr and hugged her. "Happy birthday, by the way". Allison smiled widely. "I didn't even know, you and dad both remembered". "That's because I was there when you were born, and that day was one of the best days of my life". Allison and Cameron both then separated. "It's your birthday as well, your birthday's the same day as mine". Cameron nodded and smiled. "Happy birthday, mom". They both smile and hugged each other again. Once they separated again, Cameron looked around for her clothes, spotting them all across the floor. "Can you pass me those?".

She pointed to the floor, prompting Allison to pick them up for her. Allison threw them to Cameron, before heading to her own room. "Dad told me to get some sleep, I'll see you later". Cameron watched as Allison left before letting the blanket fall and pulling her clothes on. Dressing quickly, she headed for Allison's room, finding her just getting in to bed herself. Allison sat on her bed and watched as Cameron reached behind her and took off her diamond necklace. Cameron walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her. "Hold your hair up". Allison did what she was told, holding her hair up and letting Cameron put the necklace around her neck. Cameron let go and Allison looked down to the diamond, seeing it shine as the light hit it. Cameron smiled again as Allison looked up at her. "Happy birthday!". Allison, smiling, lay down on her bed, holding the diamond in her fingers. "Thanks mom, but I didn't get you anything". Cameron smiled again and stood up. "You don't need to give me anything, your Dad gave me the necklace for my birthday a long time ago and now I'm giving it to you". Cameron turned on the spot and headed out of the room, towards the door, opened it and stepped out in to the corridor, leaving Allison alone as she fell asleep, the diamond in her hand.

Cameron walked down the corridor, getting the same responses as Allison did. Everyone she passed gave her a smile or saluted to her. Giving small smiles back, she stepped in to the now full command room, spotting John sitting alone at the back of the room. Making her way over, John spotted her and gave her a smile, before standing up and embracing her. "Happy birthday". Cameron, smiling, kissed him deeply taking his hands in to her own, before pulling away, seeing a concerned look on his face. "What's wrong?". John took a deep breath, and turned to the computer next to him. Pressing a single button, an images of what seemed to be an entrance underground appeared on the screen. "We found a Skynet research facility in the mountains, the machine's there took out the entire patrol that found it, but they got a message to us before hand. I need someone I can trust to go there, take it out and get as much information of what Skynet's been doing, it's research, find out what it's up to. I don't think I know anyone else I trust more then you". "Cameron separated herself from John, but kept her hands in his. "I talked with Allison before she went to bed, she told me what she's been doing, what she wants to do to me". John again nodded, hoping she would tell him what he wanted to hear. "And what do you think?". Cameron looked to her right and to her left, watching as everyone worked on the computers or talked to each other.

"I want to do it, I don't want to watch you grow old and die. I won't do that. If Allison can make it work, then I want to change, I want to die eventually with you, I don't want to be alone again". John again nodded before pulling Cameron in to another kiss. Cameron released John's hands and brought them to his cheeks, pressing her lips hard against his. Breaking the kiss, they let go of each other and Cameron took a couple of steps back, I'll be back soon, I love you". John smiled before saying, "And I love you". Cameron turned and headed out of the room, and towards the armoury. Stepping in to the armoury five minutes later, she was surprised to see seven solders standing there, weapons in their hands, ready to move out. "What's going on?". They all looked up at Cameron, and all stood up straight at the sight of her. "John Connor ordered us to suit up, your leading us to take out a metal base". Cameron smiled as John had already thought ahead. Nodding, she moved and took a plasma rifle from its place on the wall. "What's the plan?".

Cameron was stopped by the captain of the group of solders as she tried to leave. She turned and looked at him coldly, making him take a nervous step back. "We go to the base, destroy the machines, record all the research that we find, blow the place up and come home again, any questions?". None of them raised their hands or spoke up, except the captain. "The plans good, simple and easy to remember, we follow your lead, sir". Cameron gave a smile before heading out of the door, the seven solders following her. As she walked, she knew full well that seven solders and herself wouldn't have a chance of getting inside the base, so she took out her radio and held it up. "John!". John's voice came back through the radio. "Cameron!". Cameron smiled again at hearing his voice. "You know that seven men can't near the base, let alone inside it". "I know, that's why I've ordered troops from Hammerhead and Kansas to meet you outside the base, just follow the coordinates I gave the captain and you'll find them".

Opening the door to the outside of the base, Cameron held her rifle up, using her superior hearing ability to listen along the corridors of the old subway tunnels for any sign of movement. Not hearing anything but rats, she opened the door fully and stepped outside, the seven solders following her". Once everyone was outside and secured their position, Cameron closed the door behind her. Looking at the closed door, she saw how well it was hidden . Even to her, she couldn't tell if any kind of door was in the wall, and she couldn't hear anything from the other side, the walls being so thick to block out any sound. Turning on the spot, she found the captain looking at her, waiting for her. "Connor, gave me two sets of coordinates, he told me to go to one before the other". The captain took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. Looking at the two sets of coordinates, Cameron recognised the handwriting as John's. "Hammerhead and Kansas are sending troops to meet us at the first set of coordinates, the base we need to destroy is at the second".

The captain nodded, before waving his hand, signalling the men to move out. Cameron followed the captain through the maze of corridors towards the surface, the captain purposely making sure he went first around every corner. Cameron guessed that John had also ordered the captain to make sure nothing happened to her, hence why he was leading the way, protecting her. The group moved in silence, eventually finding their way to an opening to the outside world. The captain moved the metal plates covering the entrance to the underground and looked around. He waved his hand to show everyone that it was clear and Cameron stepped outside, breaching in the cold air, making Goosebumps appear on her skin. The solders quickly covered the entrance again before securing the area. Looking up, they saw a single aerial pass above them, it's spotlights were scanning the ground, but it didn't scan where Cameron and the others were standing. It slowly disappeared in to the distance, Cameron turning her gaze to the north, where they needed to go. "Let's go?". Cameron this time led to way, moving quickly and quietly. The solders followed her, and had trouble keeping up with her. Cameron was forced to stop to allow them to catch her up.

An hour later, Cameron and the others came to a turn in the trail the were walking through. The trail was coved on both sides by rubble, making it look like a small valley. Cameron could see small amounts of movement in the rubble ahead of her, in one of the valley walls. Ducking down behind a ruined car, she instructed the others to do the same, which they did quickly. The captain took his place next to Cameron, peering through the car windows. "Something's coming". Cameron dropped to the ground, aiming her rifle beneath the car and saw the legs of somebody moving slowly towards them. Who ever it was, Cameron saw the person drop their rifle on to the ground. Cameron got back to her feet and stepped out from behind the car, aiming her rifle at the person's head. She recognised the person immediately as Lauren Fields, whom she had helped save years ago. Lauren looked at Cameron in complete surprise, slowly lowering her arms." Cameron?, I didn't expect to see you here". Cameron stopped right in front of her, lowering her rifle.

"A lot's changed since we last met, you a medic now?". Cameron's eyes fixed on the red cross on Lauren's jacket. Lauren nodded, noticing Cameron staring at the cross. "I can see you've changed, you don't sound like I remember you, you sound more….". "Human", Cameron finished her sentence for her, as Lauren gave a small nod. "I'm guessing no one knows about you". Cameron shook her head quickly. "Don't tell anyone, please". Lauren quickly shook her head. "I'm not telling anyone, you secrets safe with me, you saved my life, I wouldn't betray you, or John". Cameron gave a smile of gratitude. Lauren's eyes moved slowly to Cameron's left hand, holding her rifle. Her eyes fixed on the brown string on her finger. "I heard that John Connor had a wife, I didn't know it was you until I heard your name, Cameron Connor. I don't think Sarah would have approved".

Cameron gave another small smile. "Sarah knew about me and John before she died, she was happy for us". Lauren's face dropped slightly. "I'm sorry". Cameron heard a cracking sound behind her and found the captain had shown himself from behind the car. "No offence, but we can't watch you to chat when we've got a job to do". Both Cameron and Lauren smiled, Lauren kneeing down to take her plasma rifle back from he ground. The captain waved his hand behind him, signalling the six solders Cameron had with her to come out of hiding. Lauren did the same with her hand, and over fifty solders left their hiding places in the rubble, moving to Cameron's location. Lauren took a step back as Marten Bedell stepped forwards from the crowd. He saluted Cameron, before holding out his hand. "Your Connor's wife, it's a pleasure to be serving under you". Cameron, a little taken aback, took his hand and shook it, before quickly letting go. "What are out orders?". Cameron took out the paper with the coordinates and handed them to Bedell. "There's a Skynet base not far from here, it's a research facility. We need to capture it, see what research Skynet's been doing and then destroy the base, that's it". Bedell looked at the coordinates and nodded, before signalling the group to move out. The solders immediately headed east, in the direction Bedell was pointing. Cameron moved with the group, and found herself immediately flanked and surrounded by six of the solders, forming a shield around her.

Ten minutes later, the group reached what seemed to be a large wall of rubble. They climbed slowly up it, crouching at the top and looking over to the other side. They could see the entrance to the Skynet base as clear as day. The base looked like it was built in to an old underground parking lot. Above the entrance, Cameron could see Sentry gun emplacements, aiming in to the clearing below, where the bodies of the patrol which found the base still lay. Bedell took his place on Cameron's right, observing the sight before him. "If we want to get in there, we need to take out those guns, or we'll be torn apart". Cameron nodded, and tried to see if there was anyone other way inside, but not seeing any. "See if you can find a way around behind the sentry guns". Bedell nodded and disappeared back down to the floor below, instructing ten solders to follow him, and they left quickly, disappearing in to the dark. Cameron kept her eyes on the sentry guns, waiting for the moment to move. To her right, Lauren Fields appeared beside her. "I need to ask something, John Connor has a daughter, what is she to you?". Cameron turned herself to face her. "John adopted Allison when they were in Century, she's my adopted daughter too".

Lauren gave a small laugh. "Fair enough, I just wondered what she would say if she knew what you were". It was Cameron's turn to give a small laugh. "She does know, only you, her and John know about me, no one else does". Lauren raised her eyebrows slightly. "What about Derek, he knows what you are". Cameron's face changed immediately, he eyes falling to the ground, not looking at Lauren. "Derek's dead, he died before Judgement day". Lauren's smile vanished this time. "He died fighting the machine's?". Cameron nodded and they both turned to look across the clearing to the Skynet base, seeing that the sentry guns were still active. Cameron knew this was a lie, but thought it best to say that Derek died fighting the machines instead of saying John killed him for trying to kill her. Before anything more could be said, Cameron, Lauren and the others watched as the sentry guns turned and fired behind them. Cameron knew Bedell and his team had been spotted. "Everyone, take out the sentry guns.!".

Cameron and everyone else raised their rifles, took aim and fired at the guns. Most of them were destroyed instantly under the barrage, but the rest continued firing behind the base. Cameron spotted some barrels in place next to one of the guns. Taking careful aim, she fired. The barrels, exploded, taking the entire roof of the base with it. The explosion was that powerful, the ground beneath their feet shook. The sentry guns were all destroyed, leaving Cameron a clear path towards the base. Raising her hand, everyone quickly moved towards the entrance. Two HK drones appeared and fired four rockets from their right, hitting the ground and sending three solders to the ground. Cameron again took aim and fired twice, destroying both. Everyone seemed impressed by Cameron's accuracy when another drone appeared and Cameron destroyed it with a single shot before it could fire. Reaching the base entrance, two solders began planting explosive charges on the door, while everyone else kept watch. Bedell appeared with four of the solders, jumping down the top of a car. He approached Cameron, shaking his head. "The metal spotted us, fired before we could even blink, took out six of my men". Bedell raised his hand, showing Cameron six dog tags.

Before Cameron could reply, Bedell moved away and to the bodies of the patrol who found the clearing, taking their dog tags also. Once the charges were set, the doors were blown apart and Cameron entered the base, leaving twenty of the solders outside to guard it. Once inside, Cameron and Bedell split the remaining troops between them and headed in opposite directions, along two separate corridors. At first, Cameron hopefully though the base was empty, but dived for her life when six plasma shots were fired at her. She only just managed to get out of the way. Surprised at herself on how close she came to dying, she stepped back, allowing the solders who wanted to shield her to do so. The machines, which were T six hundreds, advanced down the corridor towards them, firing blindly at the corner they were hiding behind. "The corridor's small, throw grenades". One of the solders turned to look at her. "Grenades don't work against these things" . Cameron nodded but also said, "Yes, but it will give us a chance to shoot back, aim for their heads, their chips". Grins appeared on the solders faces, some of them taking grenades out of their pockets. They threw the grenades at the machines and they exploded, but as the solder said, the machines weren't destroyed, but they were blinded by the sudden flash of light, making them stop firing. Cameron stepped out from her shield and fired rapidly at the machines, destroying all of them before they began firing again.

Cameron proceeded quickly, with the solders following. They reached the only door at the end of the corridor. Cameron knew she could easily kick the door in but couldn't show she was a machine so she allowed the solders to use another explosive to blow it. The door was blown apart the group entered, finding what looked like a science laboratory. In the centre of the room, were two human bodies, one male and one female. Both bodies had been cut open, and many of their organs were missing. In the room, their were also large basins, full of what Cameron recognised as living tissue, in its red liquid form. The solders looked around the room curiously, holding their noses due to the smell. Cameron found what she was looking for and accessed the main computer in the room and was relived to see that the database was intact. Looking through some of the main files, she was surprised to find a list of high ranking people in the resistance that Skynet waned to be terminated, including her own name, Cameron Connor. She found Skynet's research in to time displacement, already having design's for a machine to send machines back in time. "Someone, download the database, all of it, now!". Cameron didn't know who, but someone moved near to the computer where she was and began hooking up the necessary equipment to download the database. Cameron found and accessed a file on the living tissue being made. At first, she found only information that she already knew. But then she found that Skynet had tried to create organs, and were using the two human bodies as a guideline to making them.

Cameron smiled and was happy to know that the information was being downloaded, as it would give Allison a head start in making organs for her. Once the database was downloaded, Cameron stood up and ordered charges to be sat to blow the place. The solders complied and began setting the charges. Cameron held her radio up, "Bedell, report!". Bedell's voice came threw from the other end. "The base is secure, we're setting charges to blow the place, we found a morgue, looks like the metal was doing experiments on us, the bodies are torn up to hell". "We've found the same sort of thing in the lab, we've downloaded the database and we'll take it back to the camp to be analysed". Cameron took some explosives herself and placed them on the computer she used. Once all the charges were set, Cameron ordered them to leave, everyone headed for the door and moved down the corridor, moving in single file. Once outside, they were met by Bedell's team. Bedell was holding three fresh dog tags in his hand. He handed Cameron his detonator and everyone moved quickly away from the base. Cameron, holding two detonators in her hands, pressed them at the same time. The base behind them shook as the bombs went off, the explosions got louder until the entrance itself exploded, throwing everyone to the ground. Getting up, they all ran for their lives, knowing the explosion would attract aerials to their location.

As they ran further away, they all managed to breath easy, as they could see aerials in the distance were searching for them in the wrong place. Cameron didn't realise that they had reached the point to separate back to their respective bunkers. Bedell, walked over to Cameron, saluted to her and held out his hand. Cameron again took it, before again letting go quickly. "I'm sorry for you loss, they were good men". Bedell looked to the dog tags of the men he lost, which were around his neck. "They were, and they will be remembered, its been an honour to serve with you, I hope we can do it again. He again saluted Cameron before heading in the direction towards Hammerhead and Kansas, nearly ten miles away. Lauren gave Cameron a small wave before heading off with Bedell and the others,. Cameron gave a small wave back, before turning to look at the men left with her, the captain and the other six were still there, waiting for her. "Who has the downloaded dada from the base?". One of the solders reached in to his pocket, before pulling out four portable hard drives. He handed them to Cameron, who immediately placed them in her pocket. Smiling, she took her rifle and again held it up. "Let's go home". The captain grinned and led the way back to the camp. They didn't meet any patrols on the way to the Skynet base, but they met three on the way back. Cameron and the group hid out of sight until the machine's past them.

An hour and a half journey's back towards the base seemed like only five minutes to Cameron when she saw the entrance to the underground come in to view. Cameron again listened hard for any noise from the tunnels that shouldn't be there and again, heard nothing but rats. She led the way back through the corridors, until they came to the entrance to the camp again. Cameron raised her hand and knocked three time on the door, a little harder then she intended. Nothing happened until part of the wall near her opened and a small speaker was hidden beneath it. "Identify yourself". Cameron learnt forwards. "Cameron Connor, wife of John Connor, second in command, operational specialty, Tech Com". The wall closed again and the door opened, allowing Cameron and the others access back inside. Once inside, as a protocol, they were all made to do an eye scan at gunpoint to show who they were. Thankfully, John had done Cameron's eye scan for her when they first cam to the camp, so she wouldn't be discovered.

Cameron had her eyes scanned first and was reported clear before she stepped forwards. Once the captain was through, she handed him her plasma rifle to take to the armoury. The captain gave her a small nod as Cameron turned and headed back to the command room. It was now late and Cameron guessed that John would be in bed now, she thought she would check the command room in any case. Opening the door, the room to Cameron's surprise, was in complete darkness. She heard footsteps from through the darkness and out of the darkness, was Liz. He arms were folded and she looked angry. "So, did you really think you, could have kept your secret from us". Cameron could feel her heart beat increasing at a frightening rate. "Wh.. What?". Liz gave a small little smirk as she stepped forwards again. She seemed amused by the frightened look on Cameron's face. "There's a war going on, we are fighting machines at every turn. Everything we do, everywhere we go, there they are, the machines, hunting us down, and killing us". Cameron began taking small steps backwards, ready to run for her life. Liz continued smirking. "That's why, when we have something to celebrate, we celebrate it, Happy birthday!".

The lights came on and everyone sprung from their hiding places, shouting, "Happy birthday!". Cameron's eyes widened and she sighed in relieve, her secret was still safe, but that had been a close call, she nearly did run for life. Liz stepped forwards, wrapping her arms around Cameron. "You should have told us it was your birthday, I didn't know your and Allison's were on the same day, what are the chances of that?". Liz then took Cameron's hand and dragged her through the crowd, all holding drinks in their hands and dancing to music. "Liz led Cameron to John and Allison, who were dancing together. The moment they saw Cameron, Allison let go of John and hugged Cameron. "Happy birthday, mom!". Cameron held Allison tight, more thankful then ever that her secret was safe. Before separating, Allison moved her mouth to Cameron's ear and whispered, " I'm sorry, I told Liz it was your birthday today like mine. Dad tried to stop the whole surprise party thing, but everyone wanted one, so he just let them get on with it". Sighing loudly, Allison separated from Cameron and left to dance with Liz. John gave a large grin in apology to Cameron, who looked ready to punch him. "I tried to stop the party but…". Cameron muttered, "Shut up!", under her breath and pressed her lips against John's, nearly pushing him on to the floor.

John ran his hands threw her hair and along her back, pressing her closer to him, and making her moan loudly. They heard loud cheers erupting from around them, someone having spotted them kissing was making everyone watch them. They separated quickly and everyone laughed before they went back to their drinks. As the night went on, John and Cameron danced together for the first time since they were in the village where they married each other. John commented that he would have asked her to the prom if he could have, prompting Cameron to blush. Allison and Liz watched from the sidelines and John and Cameron moved through the couples dancing together. Allison watched with a large smile as watched her parents dance together, completely lost in each others eyes. Allison turned to Liz, "I bet Skynet would smash through the door and kill everyone here, and neither of them would notice, have you seen them?". Liz had to stand to see John and Cameron over the heads of the others in the crowd. She sat back down, a large grin on her face.

"Probably not, they'd fall down a cliff and they wouldn't notice". John led Cameron off to the side of the room, off the dance floor, much to Cameron's disappointment as she was enjoying herself. She quickly changed her mind when John pressed her against the wall, biting her neck softly. Cameron couldn't stopped letting moans escape her as she found her breathing once again going out of control, as was her heartbeat. Allison spotted the pair, smiled and made her way through the crowd, to Liz who was leaving the room. "Liz, can I stay with you tonight?". Liz turned and yawned loudly, "Why?, what's wrong?". Allison pointed to the corner of the room, to where John and Cameron were now kissing each other deeply, running their hands all over each other. Liz looked over, smirked to herself and turned to leave. "Come on then, I know what its like to hear your parents at it, and it's not something kids want to hear". Allison followed Liz back to her room, nodding in agreement with her words.

The next morning, Allison slowly and quietly opened the door to her home, stepping inside and closing the door again as quietly as possible. Looking to the floor, she could see Cameron's and John's discarded clothes scattered all over the floor. Shaking her head, she moved to their room, and pushed open the door, seeing both John and Cameron asleep on the bed, their arms wrapped around each other and Cameron's hair was in more of a mess then Allison thought possible. Reaching over, Allison pressed her hand against John's shoulder and shook him hard. John woke up instantly, groaning as his eyes saw the light. His groans also woke Cameron, who spotted Allison and immediately pulled the blanket over herself and John. John slowly sat up, having trouble doing so as Cameron was half on top of him. He raised his hand, and rubbed his eyes, before looking at Allison. "What time is it?". Allison raised her wrist, showing John her watch. "It's nearly ten dad, Liz said you should have been awake hours ago". Yawning, Allison left John and Cameron alone and headed for her own room. "Allison, wait, where why you last night, you didn't come home". Allison turned in the doorway, seeing Cameron now sitting up, rubbing her own eyes. "I stayed at Liz's, neither of you are exactly quiet, especially you mom, when you two are, you know what I mean".

Allison smirked and went in to her own room, leaving both John and Cameron red in the face. Cameron, more red in the face then John was, turned to John, seeing that he was having trouble keeping a grin off his face like she was. Getting dressed was a challenge for both of them as they had to find their clothes, which were scattered over the floor". Eventually dressed, Cameron handed the four portable hard drives to John that held the data she found at the Skynet base. "I'll head to command and upload this information, I'll wait for you there". Cameron smiled, before kissing him, bring her hands to his cheeks again. They both separated quickly before they passed the point of no return and fell back in to bed together. John opened the door and left, closing the door behind him. Cameron went in to Allison's room and sat down on the edge of her bed. Allison looked at her and nearly fell to the floor in laughter at seeing the state of Cameron's hair. Allison sat on her knees behind her and began pulling her fingers through Cameron's hair, sorting it back in to it's usually position.

"Allison, yesterday, at the Skynet base, I found a lot of information from Skynet, about growing living tissue and organs. The organs all failed but the information might give you a head start". Allison immediately got excited. "Where is it, the information?". Cameron waved her arm towards to door, leading outside. "John's took it to command, someone will upload it to our database". Allison, smiling, finished with Cameron's hair, letting it drop down passed down her shoulders again. "I'll have a look at it, and I'm going to start and make them, I don't know how long it will take, but I'm not letting you down, I promise you". Cameron turned and kissed her on the cheek before standing up and heading to the command room herself.

With the information captured from the Skynet base, John had team of scientists and doctors brought in to work o the growing or organs. The research proved invaluable as the organs could be used to save the lives of many resistance fighters who needed them. Though it took many long months, they were finally successful. Using the DNA of the wounded resistance fighters, the organs needed could be grown within days to match their body. Allison would gain most of the credit for discovering how to keep the organs alive until they could be inserted in to the bodies of the people. Many in the resistance found it hard to believe that a fourteen year old had found out how to do something like this while Skynet had failed. When hearing the fourteen year old was none other then Allison Connor, no one flinched, having expected a Connor do something as big as this.

Cameron and John were both in the command room one day, diverting troops to Eagle Rock to defend it from a Skynet attack when Allison came in, looking for Cameron. "Mom, I need to show you something, now!". Cameron turned to Allison. "What is it?". Allison took Cameron's hand, dragging her away from the computers. "Just follow me, come on". Cameron followed her, curios by Allison's excitement. Allison headed out of the command room and towards the science labs. Cameron expected her to go in to the closest ones that were in use but she went on, to the last science lab, which the Cameron's knowledge, wasn't in use. Allison typed in a six digit code in the control panel and opened the door, taking Cameron inside. The first thing Cameron saw was Lauren Fields, smiling at her. "Hey, Cameron, good to see you again". Cameron smiled back and followed Allison in to the lab. Allison stopped next to the table in the middle and pointed to what was one it. Looking carefully, Cameron saw a human heart, lying in hibernation.

Cameron watched as Lauren raised what looked like a needle and carefully moved to the heart. The moment the needle touched the heart, it started beating, pumping blood through a series of tubes. "Mom, this is your heart". Cameron's mouth dropped to the floor as she watched the heart beat. Both Lauren and Allison gave grins to each other, understanding why Cameron was so speechless. "Mom, In three weeks, all your organs will be grown to the level of a twenty five year old. I know that's not your real age, but it's a nice age for you. In three weeks, we'll be ready to give them to you. You have until then to decide if you want them or not". Cameron instantly turned to Allison and embraced her, half crying and half laughing with joy. "I want them, I already told you I did, thank you, I love you". Cameron pulled away from Allison and looked at the heart again before turning again to Allison. "Does John know yet?". Allison shook her head and Cameron turned on the spot and ran for the door to tell John. She felt so excited that she might finally have her own heart, one that she could give to John, as well as her love.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Cameron lay wide awake, unable to sleep with what was planned for her tomorrow. In six hours, she would be having her first operation, the first of many. Though she had been told time and again that there was no guarantee that she could be successfully converted, be she was determined to see it through, no matter the cost. Just watching John sleep next to her, she could see in him every reason why she wanted to change herself. John was her entire life, for many years he was her only reason for existing, and she gradually fell in love with him. She lost him once, for six and a half years, she was with out him, and the entire time she was alone, she felt like she was dead, that there was no point to her life. But when John came for her, when she heard his voice in the dark, she felt like her whole world was full again, she was back with the man she loved.

Later, she found she had a daughter, something she had always wanted. Cameron was determined not to lose what she had. She wasn't going to lose John or Allison, she cared and loved them too much to see nature take them away from her. If those she loved were going to die a natural death, then she was going to do the same, whatever it took. Not even bothering to even try and sleep, she instead turned on to her side and watched John sleep. She knew he didn't like it when people watched him sleep, his mother having done it when he was young, but Cameron couldn't tear her chocolate coloured eyes away from him, as every day she spent with him, she fell further and deeper in love with him. She watched as John gradually began to move in his sleep as his dream became another nightmare. John had always had nightmares, but lately his nightmares have changed to ones of Cameron. John told her that in his nightmares, she was found out to be a machine. Those in the resistance, who trusted her and believed in her, turned on her and killed her.

It didn't matter what John did, or how much he pleaded, no one heeded what he said while they brutally murdered his wife for being what she was. He always woke after this, sweat on his face and his breathing heavy. Cameron, not wanting him to wake again like he did, moved herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. Raising her hand, she placed on the top of his head, and stroked his hair, the same way he did to her hair. Almost instantly, John reacted to her touch and his breathing gradually slowed back to normal. Smiling at her success, she tired moving herself back to her originally position, but John, raising his own hand, held her in place. He muttered something under his breath which Cameron couldn't understand before he turned to face her, still asleep in her arms. Cameron gave another smile, and continued to stroke his hair as he slept, keeping him from another nightmare.

At the other end of the camp, Allison was still awake, having only had a few hours sleep a day in over a week. Once again, she was going over the plans to make Cameron human. She checked and rechecked every calculation, and every possible theory that could go wrong and ways to counter them. She wanted everything to go a smoothly as possible for her mother, knowing how much it meant to her, and to John. Half way though checking the procedure of Cameron's first operation, Allison felt a breeze rush through the room as Lauren opened the door and stepped inside. Allison didn't need to see her face to know that she was rolling her eyes at her behind her back, as Lauren had did this every time Allison had stayed awake to check everything was ready. "Allison, if you don't sleep, you going to fall asleep in the middle of the operation, go and get a few hours rest!". "I will, just once I've checked everything's fine". Lauren appeared behind Allison, and looked towards the screen to see what was on it. Lauren then moved behind the computer screen and turned it away from Allison.

"I've checked this five times since, you've checked this five times every day for the past three weeks. It's going to work and your mom's going to be fine. But you need your sleep, you're fourteen years old and teenagers need their sleep". Allison once again became angry when her age was brought in to a conversation, she might be fourteen years old in body, but her mind was well beyond her years. "Stop saying that, I know how old I am and I know what I'm doing". "Really?, so you know what you going to be doing when you fall asleep with your mothers heart in your hands, we've been through this, once the operation starts, it has to be finished, we'll have to grow everything again, and she needs you to be able to stay awake and fresh. She'll be lying on this table in a few hours as a machine, in three days, she'll step of it as a human, but she can't do that if you can't stay awake for it, get some sleep, NOW!". Allison looked insulted that someone other then her mother and father was telling her to do something but knew she was speaking the truth. She let her head fall to her hands, and she stayed that way, blinking back her tears, she was exhausted. Lauren could sense she was fighting back the tears and held Allison tight.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to have a go, you just know the risks and what's at steak". Allison nodded, wiping a stray tear away in the process. She raised her head again and got up from the chair. Looking around the lab she was in, in stasis on the lab tables, was everything that Cameron was going to receive in the next few days. It Allison had ever seen a movie, she would have compared the scene before her to a horror film. Multiple organs were being kept alive, Kidneys, liver, stomach, heart, everything that a human had was ready to be put together to work as Cameron's new body. The only thing that wasn't going to be replaced in Cameron was her chip, that being her mind already, it couldn't be replaced. With a nod from Lauren towards the door, Allison turned on the spot and headed for the door and stepped outside. Heading down the corridor back towards her home, she had a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong today, that something terrible was going to happen. She had this feeling once before when they broke out of Century work camp, and something bad did happen, John was shot in the chest, twice, to save her life. She couldn't help but wonder if the operation on Cameron was going to work, that she was going to be able to live a long life with her and John without watching them die.

As she wondered, she didn't pay much attention to where she was going, she turned a corner and walked right in to someone. The person, being a lot bigger then her, stood their ground while Allison was thrown off her feet and on to the ground with a yelp. Shaking her head, she tried to sat up. Looking up, she saw a familiar smile and a hand reach out to her. Reaching out she took the hand and was pulled to her feet. "You got to watch where your going, Little Connor, you don't know who you might run in to, especially these days". Allison smiled at the teenage boy before her. "I wish you'd stop calling me that, Sean". Sean was the son of one of the solders guarding the camp.

He was, tall, dark and handsome, and Allison had always had a little thing for him since she first saw him. Though he was three years older then her, he had always acted like Allison was his girl, though Allison had never done anything to encourage Sean but she hadn't made any attempt to discourage him either. He gave her a nickname, Little Connor, and always called her it, refusing to use her real name as he though it was more cute to use the nickname. "You're my Little Connor, are you okay?, you don't look so good". Allison tried hard to hide her grin as he was showing concern for her, though she wasn't sure if he'd seen the grin or not. "I'm fine, just haven't slept that much lately". Yeah, Me neither, my dads taking me on patrol today, wants to make me a real solder". Allison was a little shocked at this. "On patrol?, I thought you were going to tell him you wanted to be a technician, here at the camp or something". Sean gave another grin, one that caused goose bumps to form on her skin at seeing.

"He gave me the whole lecture about serving the United States army and all that, I told him the Untied States didn't exist anymore and wouldn't be coming back and he went crazy, going on about loyalty and everything, I said I'd go on the patrol to shut him up, so that's that, I'm going on the patrol now". Sean's face dropped when he finished talking, not happy about the situation. Allison gave a smile before they both stepped back awkwardly as someone walked past them. Both trying unconvincingly to look like they weren't talking to each other. "He still thinks that he's going to run for Congress when the war is over, why doesn't he see that all that's gone now?". Sean shook his shoulders, giving another smile. "He's old school, can't move on from the past, can't see two feet I front of him, its just the way he is, speaking of which, I better go, got to get myself ready, big day today, see you when I get back, Little Connor".

Sean moved forwards and gave her a small kiss on the cheek, something which he hadn't done before, making her blush. Allison gave another smile as he walked past her quickly and around the corner. Allison peered around the corner, watching him walk away. Sean stopped suddenly and turned, spotting Allison watching him. Allison instantly hid behind the wall, hoping he didn't see. Slowly, she edged herself back around the corner, but now, Sean was gone". Disappointed he was gone but happy to have spoken to him again, Allison turned back down the corridor, towards the Connor home.

Stepping quietly through the door, she walked slowly towards John and Cameron's room, and peered inside. She saw Cameron was awake, but instead of going inside, she turned and headed for her own bedroom. Unknown to Allison, Cameron had spotted her and moved herself out of bed, careful not to wake John. Looking around the floor for her t shirt, she couldn't find in so instead pulled John's over her head. Walking in to Allison's room, she saw Allison pretending to have already fallen asleep. Cameron, with a smile on her face, walked over to the bed and sat next to Allison. Cameron stared at her, waiting for her to open her eyes, which she did. "Mom, I need some sleep!". She closed her eyes and turned over, much to Cameron's amusement. "What's his name?". Allison slowly turned back over to be face to face with Cameron, a look of horror on her face. "How do you know that?, are you following me?". Cameron immediate went on the defence, though made sure her voice was down. "No, of course not". Cameron pointed to the other end of the bed, indicating to Allison to move along the bed. Allison did so, leaving enough room for Cameron to lie next to her. Allison pulled the blanket over them both, getting herself comfortable.

"You know about me and dad, you know how I met him in the future and how I was sent back. Allison nodded her head, indicating that she was listening. "Before I was sent back, I didn't know what feelings or emotions were, Every time I looked at John, there was something in the back of my head, something in me that I didn't understand. Every time I looked at him, it got stronger and stronger and it scared me. When I was sent back, and I met John at school, I could still feel it, but it was a hundred times stronger and it kept getting stronger. John was tall, had dark, brown hair and he was mysterious. I could see two other girls in the class had their eyes on him. It took a while until I figured out that I was in love with him, I didn't think I could love, or feel anything, but I did. The more time I spend with John, with Sarah, with anyone, the more and more I grew and understood how to express my feelings, some bad, some good". Allison turned to Cameron at this point, giving her all her attention. "Dad told me you were jealous of someone, I'm guessing that's one of the bad ones". Cameron gave at small grin, despite being a little taken aback that Allison knew of her jealousy. "Me and your dad had a falling out and he met someone else. Her name was Riley. The moment I met her, I wanted to kill her, not just because she was a threat to him, it was because I wanted John for myself.

It was Sarah who noticed I was jealous of Riley and she helped me through it. When your dad chose me over Riley, I felt so happy, so alive. Allison gave a small grin as she listened, glad to hear that her dad chose Cameron, a machine, over Riley, a human. "I know what it's like to have to learn to control emotions and understand how to express them, its just like being a teenager, everyday, you learn something new". Allison's grin disappeared, knowing that Cameron was coming to the part about her and who she liked. "So come on, what's his name?". Allison took a few deep breaths, debating whether to tell Cameron or not. "Promise you won't laugh?". Cameron gave another small smile, before saying, "I promise". Allison turned her body so she was lying on her side, facing Cameron who was already lying on her side. "His name's Sean. He's always nice to me and he's got that smile, it make my skin get goose bumps every time I see it. He's even given me a nickname, Little Connor, which drives me insane!".

Cameron listened with interest, knowing that this was Allison's first crush. "He sounds nice, what does he do?". "He's trying to be a technician here at the camp or at another bunker but his dad wants him to be a soldier. He's going out on his first patrol today". Cameron gave a small nod. "Sounds good, you seem to like him, so just don't tell you dad about him, not yet anyways". Allison looked at Cameron with confusion in her face. "Why not?". "Because dads are over protective of their little girls. Your fourteen now, but that's not going to stop him shooting any boy in the knee's for looking at you in a way he doesn't like". Allison looked alarmingly towards the door, hoping John hadn't heard anything. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him , I'll not give anything away, I'll say that just in case you do meet anyone, for him to keep his distance, okay". Allison gave a small nod, just as Cameron moved herself out of the bed. "You better get some sleep". Allison nodded and with a smile, she turned herself over and closed her eyes.

Cameron walked back to her and John's room, finding that was still asleep. Cameron lay back down next to him, raising his wrist to see the time on his watch. It was almost eight, so Cameron reached out and shook John softly. John shuddered awake, opening his eyes slowly and smiling back at the smiling face of Cameron before him. "Seeing you smiling like that when I wake up, it's the best possible thing I could see in the morning". Smiling, he learnt forwards and kissed her. Cameron wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her. Breaking the kiss, they held their foreheads together. "We need to talk, about Allison, our little girl is growing up!".

John looked instantly to the door to Allison's room, anger and surprise surging through him, but his surprise was stronger then his anger. "She's got herself a boyfriend?". Cameron again had to fight not to laugh as John spoke through gritted teeth. "No, she hasn't, but she's got an eye on someone". John closed his eyes, wishing he wasn't hearing what Cameron was saying. "She's too young to have an eye on someone". Cameron's eyes widened in surprise and amusement. "She's fourteen years old now, she's a teenager, she's was always going to notice boys sooner or later, she wasn't going to be your little girl forever". John sighed loudly, unhappy about how fast Allison was growing up. "I was hoping she'd stay my little girl until she was, I don't know, about fifty". Cameron laughed, and tried very hard to not laugh too loud and wake Allison again in the next room.

"Me and Liz told her about the birds and the bees when she started puberty, she knows what does what and why, I just hope she doesn't do anything stupid". Cameron again gave a little laugh, before grabbing John's hands and holding them tight. "She's a Connor, she takes after you, she won't do anything until she's ready. And your not going to shoot any boys she gets close to, I know that's what your thinking". It was John's turn to laugh. "How do you know what I was thinking?". Cameron moved closer to John, until her lips were just brushing against his. "I married you, remember, I know how you think". Moving herself closer, she kissed him, running her lips across his. Just as they were getting comfortable together, the alarm on John's watch went off, signalling to them both that they had to get up. "If your watch interrupts us again, I'm going to crush it". grinning at each other, they forced themselves out of bed and got dressed. Cameron removed John's t shirt and handed it to him, much to his amusement.

Stepping in to the command room, neither of them had much to do but wait until Cameron was to go to the lab and begin the change from machine to human. The hours slowly ticked by, Cameron and John just sat and waited, both nervous about what was in store for Cameron later. Eventually, Allison walked in to the command room, dragging her feet and yawning loudly. "Mom, Dad, its time to do this". Following Allison, Cameron grasped John's hand tightly, the nerves getting to her once again. "Don't you dare let go of me when this is being done". John turned to her and pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the forehead as they walked. "I'm not going anywhere, Your not going to be alone this time, I'll be there with you, every step of the way". Despite John's words, Cameron found herself getting more and more scared as they got closer to the lab. Cameron would have to be in stand by mode while they did the operations, and she would be in standby mode for three full days. On learning this, Cameron nearly called the all the operations off as she didn't want to be in standby mode again after spending six and a half years in it. It wasn't until John told her he'd be in the room with her that she again agreed to go through with it.

Stepping in to the lab Cameron and John saw for the first time all of the organs and muscles that Cameron was to be given. Lauren gave Cameron and encouraging smile and handed Cameron a hospital gown and pointed to a side room for her to change. Cameron went in to the room to get changed, leaving John with Allison and Lauren. "Are you sure this will work, I mean, will all these work together inside of her". He pointed at the organs and bones around the room. Allison sat down next to John, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. Lauren was standing next to the operating table, pulling on latex gloves. "Yes, it will all work fine, she'll definitely feel like every muscle and bone is bruised when she wakes up, but that should go away in a few days". John nodded and turned to see Cameron step out of the side room, wearing the hospital gown. "Cameron, are you sure this is what you want". Cameron didn't reply and instead climbed on to the operating table and lay down, resting her head near where John was sitting. "I'm sure, just as sure that I love you". Allison rose her head, yawning loudly again and watched as Cameron and John grasped their hands together, John slowly and gently rubbing the side of her hand with his finger.

Lauren stepped over to the table, standing over Cameron. "This is your last chance to change your mind, once this is done, you can't go back". Cameron nodded her head, showing that she understood. "I'm sure". Lauren gave a smile, as did Allison who began pulling on latex gloves as well. "Okay, Cameron, just remember, once this is done, you won't be able to fight machines hand to hand anymore, you'll lose. You'll be as vulnerable as everybody else, you'll feel pain, you'll get sick, you'll get hungry, everything. You won't be able to go in to standby mode anymore, your body with think your brain dead and shut down. You'll still heal faster then us, but not as fast as you used to, and your sight and hearing will be like ours, do you understand?". Cameron nodded again. As John listened, he thought that Cameron was giving up so much in her quest to become more human. Her strength, sights, hearing, and quick healing would all vanish. "Are you sure you want this Cameron?, it's a lot your wanting to give up". Cameron turned to Lauren, away from John.

"Will I still have feelings and emotions and be able to grow old and die like a human?". Lauren nodded and Cameron looked back to John. "Then I'm sure, I already told you, I won't watch you die and be left without you again, I won't do it, I can't". John nodded his head, feeling guilty that Cameron was giving up so much for him but also feeling relived that she wouldn't have to watch as he died and she wouldn't be left alone again. "Cameron, go in to standby mode, when you wake up, you will no longer be a machine". Pulling John to her, Cameron kissed him deeply. As he pulled away, she muttered, "I love you", before her eyes closed and her body went completely still, her chest gradually stopped moving as her breathing slowed and eventually stopped and as John pressed his hand against her chest, her heartbeat had also stopped. John hated seeing Cameron like this again, the memory of her left alone in the basement came flooding back to John, making him feel ashamed that his destiny had kept him from her for so long. Looking at her, she appeared dead, but he knew she was still alive and would be back in his arms again soon.

Over the next three days, Cameron's metal endoskeleton was replaced by solid bone and her organs and muscles were placed in the places they needed to be. It was strange seeing Cameron's endoskeleton again after so many years. Allison had a hard time doing what was needed, she hadn't expected to take such a dislike to seeing blood. Eventually she overcame the urge to vomit and was able to carry on. As John sat in the command centre, he finished giving orders to Perry over the radio to destroy a Skynet base in Long Beach. Throwing the radio down, he held his head in his hands. The last three days had been like an eternity to John. Not hearing Cameron's voice or seeing her chocolate brown eyes everyday was driving him insane, reminding him of the loneliness he felt when he was without her. Staring at the wall, he didn't notice anyone walk in to the room. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and on instinct, he drew his pistol and aimed it. Blinking, he lowered the gun when he saw Lauren standing there, terrified with the gun in her face. "I'm sorry, I haven't slept since, you know". Lauren gave a small nod, and watched as John lowered the gun. "You might want to leave the gun at home until you get a good nights sleep".

John gave a small nod in return, putting his gun back away. "Me and Allison haven't slept in days either, we need you now, we've finished the surgery, but we can't wake her up". John nodded and stood up, and followed her out of the room. "You know how to wake Cameron up?". John nodded again. "She won't wake unless she hears my voice". "So if I were to shoot you in the head?". "Then she wouldn't wake up, yeah". They stepped in to lab, and John saw Allison standing next to the operating table. Moving to stand next to her, he gazed down at Cameron, who looked like she had been in a fight and lost badly. Her skin was bruised and was covered in numerous angry looking cuts. Looking up, both Lauren and Allison saw he looked angry and quickly stepped away from him. "Dad, its temporary, the bruises and cuts will heal in a few days". John took a few deep breaths and looked down again. Beneath the swelling and incisions on her face, he could make out the woman he fell in love with. "When does she need to wake up?". Allison and Lauren moved to the other side of the table. "Right now!, its going to be painful though, it will be like her body is jump starting". Lauren and Allison raised their hands, and held Cameron down.

John thought that was going to be useless as she was stronger them all of them but quickly remembered that she wasn't anymore. "John lowered his head to Cameron's ear and whispered, "Diamonds are a girls best friend, Cameron Connor". Instantly, Cameron's body leapt in to life. Her eyes shot open and her chest rose from the table. Cameron gasped for air in the midst of screaming in pain. John helped Allison and Lauren hold Cameron down on the table, her body shaking as she cried out in a mixture of pain and shock. "Allison, give her the painkiller!". Allison let go of Cameron and ran across the lab to get the painkillers, leaving John and Lauren to fight with all their might to hold Cameron in place. Allison quickly came back with a needle in her hand. Lauren held Cameron's arm down and Allison quickly injected Cameron with the pain killer. Nothing happened at first and John thought that it hadn't worked but slowly, Cameron's scream's began to die and she slowly stopped shaking. Cameron began moving her right hand around, trying to take hold of something.

John guessed she was looking for his hand and was proved right when he moved his hand to hers and she grasped it tightly. "John ,I can't….. I can't see, …anything". John looked as Cameron's eyes moved from side to side, looking towards the ceiling. Lauren got a small torch and shined it in to Cameron's eyes. "It's alright, your eyes are fine, you'll be able to see in a couple of hours". John noticed that's Cameron's grasp on his hand was not as firm as she used to do it. Slowly, he stroked Cameron's hand with his fingers and stoked her hair. As he did, her breathing became less heavy and she breathed easy again. "Cameron, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere". Through the swelling on her face, John could make out a small smile appear on her face.

"I know you won't". Lauren stepped back to allow Allison to stand at Cameron's other side, taking her left hand in to her own. "Mom, how do you feel?". Cameron didn't respond at first, as she moved her head from side to side. "I don't know, it all feels different, everything's different". Lauren moved herself to where Cameron's head was resting. "Cameron, I'm going to check and make sure everything's doing what its supposed to be doing, I will only take a few minutes, don't worry, it won't hurt". Cameron gave a small nod and Lauren held her hands to the side of Cameron's head and pressed her fingers on to her skin. Lauren then checked her breathing, her chest and then her joint at her elbows and knees. Once she finished, she gave a satisfied look to Allison and John before removing her latex gloves. "Everything's fine, you have to stay here a few days, then you can go home. You might feel a little stiff and bruised for a while but you'll be alright". Cameron turned her head to John, blinking her eyes repeatedly at him. She let go of John's hand and raised it towards his head. Her hand hit nothing but air as she missed her target but slowly she managed to reach John's cheek, stroking it with her finger. "I can see you, just a dark shape, but its you".

Cameron then turned her head to her other side and repeated the process with Allison.. Lauren then took Cameron's arms and lay them down on her chest. "You need to sleep, let your body get used to being alive". Cameron gave a small nod but moved her hand back to her side, gasping John's hand once again. "John, you can stay here if you want, but Allison needs to go and get some sleep before she falls over". John looked to Allison and saw black rings beneath her eyes. John gave her a small grin and a nod and Allison nodded back at him. "Mom, I'm heading home, I'll be back tomorrow morning, alright, I promise". Before Lauren and Allison left, they gave Cameron something to help her sleep, as she was still feeling uncomfortable with her swelling and her numerous bruises and cuts. John didn't leave her side as she slept through the night, falling asleep himself with his hand holding hers.

As Allison walked back towards her home, she noticed that a group of soldiers had just returned from patrol. Stopping to watch as they walked past her, she looked out for Sean, hoping to see him before going to bed. Soldier after soldier walked by, but she didn't see Sean. When the last soldier walked by, Allison followed him and put her hand on his shoulder. "The patrol, where's Sean, Sean Williams?". The solder turned around, a little taken aback to be talking with Allison. "I'm sorry, but that patrol been missing for ten hours, we've just been looking for them, but we have to assume the worst". The soldier then turned and walked fast to catch up with the others. Allison stood open mouthed for about a minute until she noticed that two of the guards were staring at her. Moving quickly, she ran as fast as she could through the base, until she reached her room and her bed.

Falling on to the bed, she held back the tears for as long as she could, until she couldn't do it any longer and she let the tears flow. She didn't know why she was crying, she didn't love Sean, or at least she didn't think she did, she only ever considered him her friend, her best friend. As she cried, she hated that neither John or Cameron were there to comfort her when she needed them, and though she knew that it wasn't their fault, she wanted them there with her, now more then ever. Allison cried herself to sleep, a mixture of exhaustion and worry about Sean taking it's hold on her.

Allison woke the next morning, with a mixture of excitement and anger. She was excited to see Cameron again, to see if she's improved from the day before and she was angry as she had lost her friend. Getting up from the bed, she made for the door before deciding that she better change her clothes as she was covered in blood stains. She guessed this was the reason the guards were staring at her the previous night. She hit the shower making the water as hot as she could bare and let the tears fall as she thought of Sean. The putting her sadness to one side she dressed quickly and tried to keep her mind focussed on Cameron as she stepped out of the room and headed back to the lab. Allison didn't even bother checking what the time was but noticing the amount of activity from around the base, she guessed it was the afternoon. Allison turned on to the last corridor towards the lab and saw something she didn't expect. Turing a corner and leaving the corridor up ahead was Sean. Allison blinked, thinking she was seeing things but never the less, she broke in to a run to the corner. Once she got there, she knew she wasn't seeing things as Sean was there again, looking like he was a little lost. "Sean!". Allison broke in to another run and embraced him, wrapping her arms around him. It took longer then she anticipated until he replied and put an arm around her. "I thought you were dead, they told me your patrol went missing".

Sean replied slowly, his voice quiet but firm. "We were ambushed, everyone's gone but I got away but everyone else was killed". Allison pulled away and looked at his face, seeing that he was trying to be strong. "Your dad, I'm sorry Sean, I'm so sorry". Sean just shook his head. "It wasn't anybody's fault, I just happened, he didn't even see the machines, they killed him before he even raised his rifle". Allison gave a small nod, knowing how brutal and effective the machines were. "Where are you going anyway, you look a little lost". Sean looked around him, apparently only then realising where he was. "I don't know, I was going home, I guess I lost track". Allison took Sean's hand in to her own and turned on the spot. "Come on, I'll take you home". Sean moved himself to Allison's side, following her as she walked. Allison kept a firm hold on his hand, happy that he was alive, but concerned on how he was taking his father's death. Sean didn't say anything to her on the way, he just looked around at everything and at everyone as they walked. Allison guessed he was hoping to spot his father still alive somewhere. They stopped outside his home and Allison pointed to the door. "Here you are, I've got to go and see my mom, she's sick, I'll come see you later, I promise". Sean walked past her in to the room and looked around it. Allison again guessed that the room would be feeling empty without his father being there.

"Allison!". Allison turned to see Liz walking towards her. "Where have you been?, you dads been on the radio, he and your mom want to see you. They said you know where they are". Allison gave a small nod. "I do, thanks Liz". Liz gave a smile before turning on the spot and disappearing down the corridor. Allison looked in to the room and saw Sean staring at her. "I'll be back to see you later, okay!". Allison closed the door, but Sean's arm appeared and stopped her closing it all the way. "Yeah, I'll see you later Allison". Sean gave her a smile and let her close the door. Allison then left and headed back towards the lab. Stepping in to the lab, she instantly saw that Cameron wasn't on the operating table. "Mom!, Dad!". Allison heard footsteps from the far side of the lab and John came in to view. "Where have you been?, I sent Liz to look for you". Allison walked over to where John was standing.

"Sorry dad, I slept longer than I planned to and Sean's back, he's alright". "Who?". Allison's face dropped. She didn't want to talk to John about Sean and had always been careful before about mentioning him but now she'd let it slip out " No one dad, just forget about it". Allison felt a surge of relieve when John didn't press the issue and instead gave her a smile. Allison walked passed John and saw Cameron standing with her back to her. "Mom?". Cameron turned around and Allison gave a large gasp in surprise. The swelling on Cameron's face had gone down and had almost completely disappeared. Her cuts had already started to heal nicely and her burses didn't look as angry as they did the night before. Allison was more shocked that Cameron was able to stand, let alone do anything else.

"Mom, you look incredible, how the hell are you standing already?". John gave a small smile. "It wasn't easy, my legs are so stiff, it took me ten minutes to walk to here". Allison looked around at the distance between where Cameron was standing and the operating table, seeing that it would take her only ten steps to walk the distance there was. Cameron saw the smirk form on Allison's face. "Hey, your legs are fine, I haven't used mine with real bones and muscle instead of metal". John moved himself next to Cameron, so she could use him to balance herself. Allison looked to Cameron's hand and saw she was holding her left endoskeleton hand. "What are you going to do with it, with all of it?". With John's help, Cameron turned around again and put the hand back on the table, next to the rest of her old endoskeleton. "I don't now, burn it, keep it, I haven't decided, I need to sit down". Allison moved to Cameron's other side and she and John helped Cameron back to the bed. John lifted her on to it and she sighed with relieve at being off her feet. Allison knelt down to look at Cameron's feet, seeing that they were a deep red color". Allison stood up and walked to the other end of the room, opened the freezer there and took out some ice, dropping it in to a bucket. Returning to the bed, Allison handed John the bucket of ice. "Wrap the ice in some cloth and rub her feet with it, her feet are going to swell".

Allison then looked at Cameron. "You shouldn't have been on your feet, not yet anyway, show me your hands". Both Cameron and John were taken aback at being told what to do but did what she told them. Cameron showed Allison her hands and Allison began flexing her fingers, which cracked loudly and were stiff like her knees and elbows. Cameron gave a large gasp when John applied the ice to her feet, but quickly got used to the feeling. Lauren turned up ten minutes later, black rings under her eyes. "Sorry I'm late, I slept in". John looked up to Allison, giving a large smirk. "Don't worry, your not the only one". Allison gave John an angry look before continuing her work on Cameron's fingers. Lauren appeared next to John, looking at Cameron's feet. "You've been walking around already, you shouldn't have done that". Cameron smirked at herself and shrugged hers shoulders. "I just wanted to move around, being so stiff made me feel trapped". Lauren gave a small nod before a large smile appeared on her face. "Well if you found that annoying, then listen to this, both of you". John and Cameron both looked at her. "No sex for at least three weeks". John instantly dropped the ice he was holding while Cameron shouted, "WHAT!".

They both looked at each other in disbelief. Lauren found it hard not to laugh while Allison fell to the floor holding her stomach in pain, as she was laughing so hard. "You've got to be kidding me". Cameron was hoping Lauren would say she was joking but she shook her head. "Well technically, you're a virgin again, and you can't walk far with out your feet swelling in to melons so sex is off the cards until your body is ready, three weeks, no sex, end of argument". Cameron fell back on to the table, an angry and shocked look on her face. She muttered to herself, "Three weeks, no sex!, who does she think she is?".

John picked up the ice again and Cameron gasped again when he applied it to her feet. John was feeling just as Cameron was, three weeks without being able to touch her would drive him mad. John had to leave as Liz called him away when as Skynet launched another attack against general Perry in Long Beach. For the next two hours, Lauren and Allison made sure Cameron's muscles and joints were got enough exercise. By the end, Cameron was in a lot of discomfort, but she could now flex her fingers and toes without any problems and her knees and elbows weren't as stiff as before. Two days later, Cameron's swelling, cuts and burses had almost all disappeared. Lauren had told her that she could go home in few hours after she'd run some final tests to make sure she was alright. She also told Cameron to take it easy and once again informed her of her three week sex ban, much to Cameron's annoyance and disgust.

Allison was at home alone, waiting for John and Cameron to come back when she remembered she hadn't kept her promise to Sean to see him. She left her room and after five minutes of walking the corridors, Allison stopped outside of Sean's door and knocked. There was no reply so she knocked again, "Sean?". Again, there was no response so she pushed opened the door and stepped inside. Looking around the first room, it looked like nothing had been touched since before Sean left to go on the patrol. Allison checked the other two rooms and found they were in the same condition and found that Sean was no where in sight. Stepping out of Sean's home, Allison walked quickly to the command room, wondering where he could be. Her question was answered almost instantly when she turned a corner and walked right in to him, again being knocked to the floor. "Sean, I was looking for you". Allison looked at Sean's hands, seeing he had a plasma rifle in his hands. She slowly got up, her eyes on the rifle. "I thought you didn't want to be a soldier or a guard?".

Sean looked down at his rifle then back to Allison. "I didn't, but since my dad died, I want to do what he did, to fight the machines". Allison looked at him in shock. They had known each other for months and had spoken on how he would never become a soldier, no matter what, he would have avoided it at all cost. "I've got to go, I've got a job to do, see you later Allison". Sean then walked right past her, disappearing slowly along the corridor. Allison was hurt he had brushed her off so quickly and was treating her differently then before. But despite the fact that she understood that Sean was grieving, Allison knew instinctively there was something else wrong but she just couldn't put her finger on it. She quickly moved herself towards the command room, knowing Liz would be there. Stepping inside the command room, she found Liz and sat down next to her. Liz looked at her and knew something was wrong. "What's wrong?, is your mom alright?". Allison quickly nodded. "Mom's fine, she's better now".

Liz waited for Allison to tell her what was wrong but she didn't say anything. "Come on Allison, its me, your Auntie Liz, you can tell me anything". Allison gave a small laugh, remembering how she used t call her auntie Liz when she was little but then something shot through Allison like a lightning bolt. Sean had called her by her name instead of her nickname. He never called her Allison, not once, he always called her Little Connor. "Liz, bring up Sean Williams file". Liz looked confusingly at her. "What?, why?". "NOW LIZ!". Everyone in the command room stared at the two of them. "Alright, keep you hair on". Liz turned to the computer in front of her and began typing. Ten seconds later, she turned the screen to Allison, showing Sean's file. As Allison read through it, she saw nothing to indicate that Sean had become a full time soldier. The latest entry on his file was he survived a Skynet ambush and was being evaluated for metal instability due to his fathers death. "There's nothing here, he's not becoming a soldier". Liz looked at the screen herself, shaking her head. "Well of course not, he's just lost his dad". Allison remembered back to what she saw in the hall way. Sean's face was emotionless, he had a plasma rifle, and he was heading towards her home, to the Connor home.

"HE'S AFTER THEM, HE'S AFTER MY PARENTS!". Liz just looked at her, stunned at her outburst. "Who's after them?". Allison pointed to the screen, at Sean's picture. "He's gone mad, he blames them for his dad, he's after my mom and dad, HE'S GOING TO KILL THEM". Allison got up and ran to the nearest weapons locker, opening it and taking out a plasma rifle. She then sprinted out of the room, Liz right behind her. "ALLISON!, WAIT!". Allison didn't listen and kept running, she didn't stop until she reached her home, finding that the door had been smashed through. Allison moved inside the room and looked around, seeing that it was empty. At checking the other rooms, she also saw that they were empty, remembering that John and Cameron were still in the far lab. Liz turned up, out of breath and flanked by four soldiers. At seeing the broken door, Liz gave a large gasp. Allison took out a radio from her pocket and held it up, the realisation striking her as she spoke the words. "Command, Code Red, machine infiltration confirmed, protect the Connor's". The moment she finished, the alarms sounded and sounds of movement from around the base.

"My mom and dad are in the lab, we have to go now". Allison stepped out of the room and ran towards the labs, with Liz and the solders following her. Allison was running so fast, that Liz and the solders lost sight of her. Allison turned a corner and came saw Sean walking in the opposite direction. "SEAN!". Sean stopped and turned to see Allison aiming her rifle at him. "What? Allison , what are you doing?". Allison primed the rifle and aimed for his head. "Your not him, your not Sean!". Sean looked at her with surprise. "What?, yes I am, I'm Sean, I'm your Sean, it's me Allison, it's me, just calm down, please don't shoot, Allison". The more he spoke, the more Allison became convinced he was wasn't who he said he was. Liz and the soldiers caught up with Allison, the soldiers aiming past Allison and at Sean. Liz again held her radio up. "Security to lab corridor, now!". Sean took a step forwards to Allison, but stopped when the soldiers behind her all primed their weapons and stepped forwards to protect her. More soldiers quickly appeared from all sides, all aiming at Sean. "Your not Sean, you're a fucking machine!" "Allison, it's me, I swear its me, I'm not a machine, I'm not, it's me, please!". Sean's face turned to one of desperation and fear. Looking behind Sean, Allison saw John, Cameron and Lauren turn up, both Cameron and John being flanked by more soldiers. Cameron held her hand on John's shoulder, using him to help balance herself. Looking to the soldiers around her, it was clear that they were disbelieving that Sean was a machine, as his plea's and facial expressions showed nothing but human emotion. Though when she looked at John and Cameron, the look on their faces was all she needed to know that they believed her. Sean looked around him, trying to gain some support. "I'M NOT A MACHINE!, I'M NOT".

Sean then looked angrily at Allison. "Look at her eyes, she's tired she hasn't slept in days, she's just seeing things, I'm not a machine, Allison, I swear to you, I'm Sean, I'm your Sean". Allison could feel hot tears running down her cheeks as he spoke. She desperately to believe him or not, but she knew the one way she could find out. "If you are Sean, what's my nickname?". Sean looked utterly confused by what she asked "What, are you talking about? it's me Allison, its Sean, I'M NOT A FUCKING MACHINE YOU CRAZY BITCH!". John primed his own rifle and Cameron raised the pistol she was holding with her free hand. They moved so quickly that some of the soldiers gasped in shock. "It's a simple question Sean, the nickname you gave me, the one you always used instead of my real name, what is it?". Everyone remained silent as Sean didn't reply, he just stared at her. "You don't know because your not him, your not Sean, you killed him and took his appearance. You did that because he lived and worked here at the camp. This camp is where my mom and dad live, its them you want to kill". All the emotion from Sean's face disappeared. He looked at Allison with no emotion on his face.

"It was Little Connor, Sean called me Little Connor, he never called me Allison, never, he didn't tell you that so I would know you weren't who I thought you were, you're a machine". Allison, without warning, fired her rifle, hitting Sean in the head. Sean fell to the floor. Everyone looked in horror as they could see the metal endoskeleton beneath the skin. The machine twitched slightly, its chip still intact. John moved beside the machine and looked down on it. The machine tried to raise its arm but found it was unable to, its arm jammed at the elbow. Cameron moved past John and to Allison, embracing her as she fell to the floor in tears. John looked towards the soldier closest to him. "Knife, now!". The solder handed the knife to John and everyone there watched as John knelt down and cut in to the side of the head of the machine, the part which hadn't been hit by Allison's shot. After cutting away the flesh, John forced open the covering protecting the chip and pulled the chip out. The machine powered down and John stood up, holding the chip in his hand. Liz raised her radio again. "Stand down code red, the machine threat had been dealt with". The alarms instantly went silent. John looked towards Liz and threw the chip to her. She caught it and looked at it with fear.

"Take that to command, I'll read what's on it later, get someone to take the machine to the lab and get everyone back to their posts, now!". Liz looked a little shocked on how firm John was being but immediately understood when he moved next to Allison and knelt down. Allison let go of Cameron and embraced John tightly. "I'm sorry dad, I'm so sorry". John and Cameron held her tight as everyone moved away. Eventually, only the Connor's and two soldiers were left in the corridor. "Come one, we could all use an early night, we all need sleep". John reached under Allison and picked her up, holding her in his arms. John looked to Cameron, who was not standing with her hand against the wall. "Are you okay?". "I'll be fine, Allison's more important then me, lets get her home". Cameron placed her hand on John's shoulder to help balance herself and the Connor's walked home. They knew that what they had seen today meant Skynet was getting desperate in its war against the Resistance. They also knew that even though things were going to be much harder and much more dangerous, but they also knew that what happened today would make them stronger, make their family much stronger.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

In the weeks after Skynet's infiltrator was destroyed by Allison, the resistance was an high alert. The news that the machines were now able to disguise themselves as a human using a newer updated technology that made their skin appear as real flesh and less rubber like, and the fact that one got so close to killing the Connor's spread like wild fire. Within hours, John was getting reports that some solders had killed their former friends and families, under the assumption that they were machines in disguise. John acted quickly to stop the killings, setting up new security measures to identify who was human and who was machine and also had the murderers punished severely for their actions. The new security measures included having dogs posted on every base, as they were able to identify machines quickly. Despite the effectiveness of the dogs, three bases reported attempted infiltrations and one was fully destroyed with the loss of over three hundred lives. John was deeply disturbed by this and was desperate to find new and better ways of protecting his people and had a team of techs working round the clock on this problem.

Cameron slowly but surely got used to her new body. As her cuts, bruises and swelling disappeared she was able to walk around the base again getting back in to some sort of a routine. She had been going crazy hiding away in the room so no one saw her. She quickly realised that she had to eat a lot more then she used to, having only ate a little food every four or five days. Now, she had to eat everyday like everyone else, much to her annoyance because like everyone else, she hated to taste of the food. Cameron was also terrified when she learned that dogs were being brought to the camp by Liz and tried desperately to convince John to stop it, convinced that she would be found out. Before John could talk Liz round, the dogs arrived. Liz walked in to the command room with her new canine companion and Cameron froze in absolute terror.

Her life flashing before her eyes as she realised that this was the moment she had been dreading. She was about to be discovered as a machine, John and Allison would be lost to her forever. Time seemed to stand still as the dog padded over to Cameron. It stopped directly in front of her feet, sniffed at her hand and then jumped up with it's paws resting on her shoulders and licked her face. Cameron stumbled backwards and with a small scream, fell to the floor, the dog followed and continued to lick away, his tail wagging furiously. Liz laughed, "well he certainly likes you!" Cameron cautiously raised a hand toward the dog and stroked his head feeling the soft fur between her fingers. She looked up at John who was smiling at her. He looked at Liz and said, "Cameron's always been more of a 'cat' person" Though she didn't know why the dog didn't attack her as she still had her chip, she didn't complain, as Cameron felt she had overcome something else she thought she would never be able to.

Since the loss of her friend, Sean, Allison became increasingly withdrawn from everyone. She slowly cut herself off from all her friends, wanting to be alone. She had a mixture of emotions running through her head. She felt betrayed by her feelings, she had so desperately wanted to believe that Sean had fought against the machines and not been killed, that he was still here teasing her calling her 'little Connor', she had experienced the first flutters of teenage love with Sean even though they had never had the time to allow anything to develop, the fact that the possibility of what could have been had been destroyed cut Allison to the core.. She felt torn as she blamed John for Sean's death. She knew that the machine infiltrated the base in order to kill her father and Sean had become the latest casualty in the 'keep John Connor alive campaign'.

But Allison also loved her father and knew that if he was attacked she would be one of the first in line to protect him, along with her mother. Allison was so confused about her feelings and did the only thing she knew, withdraw. She only talked to John and Cameron, and people she had to work with, but she remained distant from all of them . John and Cameron both knew she was upset by the loss of her best friend and she was grieving, but to see her smile again would bring a lot of relief to them both. Allison spent her days either working with Lauren to help the wounded or alone in her room, reading pld books like the Wizard of Oz, which like John when he was young, was her favourite.

After another tiring day, John sat before a computer, Reading what was on the chip of the infiltrator that Killed Allison's friend, Sean. The mission was simple,' Infiltrate the camp, Terminate John Connor and Cameron Connor'. He already knew that it would be programmed to kill him. It made him worry more and more that it had also been programmed to kill Cameron, who was now just as vulnerable as he was. Much to Cameron's amusement, John found himself acting more like her bodyguard a lot like she acted when she was first sent back to protect him. He always kept on eye on Cameron, watching as people walked towards her, looking for any signs of them looking at her like a machine would and sighing in relief when they walked past her with out a fuss. He didn't find much information from the chip as it hadn't been active for very long. It had only been active for fourteen days when it was destroyed. Looking through its database, John found out that the machine had been built in a factory that was hidden underground so John ordered its immediate destruction. Led by General Perry and Kyle Reese, the factory was successfully destroyed. Before turning in for the night, John once again played back the machines memory of killing Sean.

The machine held Sean by the throat, holding him off the ground slightly so he was using the end of his toes to hold himself up.. "Your friend, Allison Connor, she's John Connor's daughter. How close are you to her? Are you just her friend?, or are you something more?". Sean was gasping for breath, his face badly bruised by the machines. "If you hurt her, you won't have a chance to get to the Connor's, neither of them. If you harm a hair on her head, once the Connor's are finished with you, there won't be enough left of you to be used for scrap". The machine responded by squeezing his throat more firmly, making him groan loudly in pain. "Your reaction shows that you are close to Allison Connor. I now know not to kill her. My mission would be compromised if she were to die before I killed John and Cameron Connor". The machine lessened its grip on his throat, allowing him to breath again. "I know this hurts, if you tell me what I want t know, then I wont hurt you, your death will be painless, tell me where the Connor's home is?".

The machine let go of Sean, who fell to the floor. He shook his head and sat on his knees, and looked right in to the machines eyes. "I'd die before betraying the Connors, They keep us alive, none of us will ever give them up, so Fuck off!. If your goanna kill me, then KILL ME!". As John watched, he felt like he was the machine as he was seeing it from the machines point of view. The machine reached down and grabbed the side of Sean's head. The machine then threw Sean backwards against the concrete wall. Sean hit his head hard against the wall and fell. He was already dead before he hit to floor. John shook his head as he watched. He remembered what Derek had told him years ago, he told him that they all died for him, everyone would give their life to protect him, to keep him alive because he was the only one who could save them, save them all. Looking at the machine's last memory, he watched as Allison held the machine at gunpoint. He watched her face as she said, "It was Little Connor, Sean called me Little Connor, he never called me Allison, never, he didn't tell you that so I would know you weren't who I thought you were, you're a machine". He looked at Allison's face and saw the pain and how hurt she was, and he had never seen her like that before. The machine's hud view flickered as it was damaged and John saw his own face as he knelt over the machine and removed its chip. "You've got to stop reading this thing John".

John turned to see Liz sitting next to him. "You said you were going to figure out how to reprogram it". John sighed and leant back in his chair. "I know how to reprogram them now, its just this machine, this chip, what it did to Allison. I wanted to crush this chip the moment it took it from its skull. I made a promise to keep her safe, to keep Allison safe and I broke that promise. She will never be safe because these things are after me and want me dead. They used Allison's friend to get to me, its only a matter of time before they change tactics and try and use Allison herself, or even Cameron. If I lost either of them, I don't know what I would do". Liz gave a small smile and unhooked the chip from John's computer and held it aloft, looking at it closely. She then placed it softly on to the table and took out her pistol and held it up, ready to use it to crush the chip. Before John could do or say anything, Liz brought the gun crashing down, hitting to chip and crushing it. She hit it rapidly until there was noting left. Putting her gun away, she sat back down and again looked at John.

"Even if we move Allison or Cameron to somewhere more secure, they wont be safe, neither of them will be. But they will be safer if they stayed with you. I saw your face when you took that chip, and it scared me to hell. No wonder Skynet's afraid of you". John gave a loud laugh, as did Liz. "Go home John, your daughter needs you to help her through what she's feeling. I know Cameron does her best but she hasn't raised Allison since she was seven years old. You know Allison better then anybody, even herself". John gave a small smile before getting up and began walking towards the door before he stepped and turned around. "Thanks Liz, your always around when I need you". Liz gave him a large grin. "It's what I'm here for". John turned again and walked out of the command room, nodding his head towards those who saw him leaving for the night.

Navigating through the corridors, John found his way to the door to his home and stepped inside. John tried to be quiet as possible as he walked in to his and Cameron's room. As he expected, Cameron was fast asleep in the bed, her feet pocking out from the bottom of the blanket, exposed to the cold, making her body shiver slightly. As she breathed, He could see Cameron's breath as a mist coming from her mouth. Removing his jacket and discarding it, he moved the blanket down to cover her feet. She instantly stirred and turned over in her sleep. Seeing her face made John feel warmer, as her face was full of colour and life. Reaching around for his discarded Jacket, he placed it on top of her, in a attempt to keep her warm. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he stroked her hair for a while before kissing her on the forehead. As he moved his head away, he was sure he saw her smile out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked towards her, her face remained the same, always beautiful and peaceful. Stepping up from the bed, he moved out of the room quietly, leaving Cameron to sleep. Opening Allison's bedroom door, he looked to the bed and saw Allison was still awake, lying on her bed and reading her favourite book, the Wizard of Oz in Spanish. Allison didn't look up to him, seemingly not noticing he was there. John closed her door, making Allison jump in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you". Allison closed her book and sat up, crossing her legs. "You didn't scare me, I just didn't know you were there?". John sat down on the bed, taking a pack of cards from his pocket and holding them up so she could see it.

"We haven't played a game since Century, wanna play?". Allison looked to her watch and back to John again. "Its nearly two in the morning!". John gave her a little grin. "You kept me up all night sometimes just to play cards because you liked to win, its just you and me, one game, please?". Allison shrugged her shoulders an took the pack of cards from John. Taking out the cards, she began to shuffle them. Setting out six cards for each of them, they began to play their own cards game they made up years ago. In all their time in Century, once John and Allison made up their card game, John never beat her, not once. It didn't matter how many times he tried, or how much he held on to the best cards, Allison always found a way to beat him. As they hadn't played in years, John thought he had a small chance of catching her off guard and winning his first game, but was quickly proven wrong when Allison easily beat him. Looking up, he saw a small smile form on her face but it quickly disappeared again. John gave a long sigh of relieve. He had seen her smile finally, it was only a small one, but it was a start. "Want to play again?".

Allison gave a nod and handed the cards to John. Shuffling the cards, he sorted six for himself and six for Allison. Looking at his cards, he knew instantly he didn't have a chance of winning and judging by the smirk that formed and quickly disappeared on Allison's face, she had a good hand and she beat him with ease. Despite saying that they would play just the one game, they ended up playing twenty games, Allison winning every one. As they played, it was clear that Allison was enjoying herself, and her smile became more fixed the more she won, so John pressed her to play for longer. "Do you remember, back in Century, when we played hide and seek on your ninth birthday, You hid in Liz's house, under her bed and we couldn't find you for five hours, I had about thirty people looking for you". Allison's smile widened, remembering well. "You were mad at me, you thought the Greys had taken me, but you didn't shout, you just hugged me". John smiled widely. "Yeah, you don't know how relived I was when Liz brought you out of her house, you just looked at me with a grin on your face, the same grin you've got now. I war ready to attack the Greys right there to get you back, I didn't care about the machines". John lay his cards down, sure that for the first time, he had beaten her. Allison's eyes widened in shock. "Yes!, about time I beat you".

Allison then smirked and lay down her cards and began to laugh as John looked in mock horror as he was beaten again. "How the hell do you do that?, one of these days, I'm goanna beat you, I promise you that". Allison smirked again as she took the cards and began putting them away. "We should play more often, just not at this time in the morning". She looked at her watch, seeing it was nearly three in the morning. Allison, handed the pack of cards to John and climbed under her blanket. John stood up and moved the blanket up to better cover her. "I'll see you tomorrow". John moved towards the door, and reached out to open it. "Dad, I'm sorry". John turned and walked back to Allison, and sat down on the bed next to her. "Sorry for what?". John watched as she took several long deep breaths. "Do you remember, back in Century, the woman who used to live next to out house. Her two daughters were my best friends". John remembered back to where they lived in warehouse seventeen, and to the woman and her two daughters.

"Yes, I remember. The two little blond girls, they were twins". Allison nodded. "When the Greys took them away, I lost my best friends, my only friends. And when I lost Sean, I felt the same way, I lost my best friend again. I know its not my fault, with what happened, but I kept feeling like it was my fault, that they died because of me, I didn't think I should be getting close to anyone because I'm your daughter, John Connor's daughter". Tear began falling from her eyes and she moved her hand quickly to wipe them away. "I'm sorry because I've been blaming you dad, I blamed you because they died. But I don't blame you anymore, I'm sorry. It's Skynet and its machines that killed them, not you". John understood where she was coming from. Opening his arms, Allison sat up and let John hold her tight. "It would help everyone if you talked to people again, We all miss the old you, we want you back, it does help to talk to people about your feelings". Allison nodded her head and John let her go, allowing her to lie down again. "I'm sorry dad, I love you". John learnt forwards and kissed her on the forehead.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, I love you to". Allison gave another smile and nodded. "It's good to see you smile again". John stood up and walked towards the door, opening it and closing it behind him. Stepping in to his and Cameron's room, he kicked off his shoes and got himself in to bed next to Cameron. The moment he pulled the blanket over himself, Cameron moved in her sleep, moving her arm across his chest and pulling herself closer to him for warmth. Wrapping his own arm around her, he stroked her hair as he fell asleep, glad to know that Allison had finally opened up to him, after seven long months.

Waking up only hours later, he yawed loudly and looked to his watch, seeing he only had just over four hours of sleep. Turing his head, he watched Cameron as she slept. Shaking her softly, he woke her up. Cameron opened her eyes and mumbled something under her breath before closing them again and falling back asleep, apparently to comfortable to stay awake. Smiling widely, John shook her again but more firmly. Cameron moaned as she was woken, turning her head and pressing her face in to John's chest. "Five more minutes". But the moment she said the words, Cameron's eyes shot open and she raised her hand to cover her mouth. Throwing the blanket off herself and climbing over John, she ran across the room to the bathroom. John could hear her vomiting violently in to the toilet. John quickly got out of bed and followed, finding Cameron leaning over the toilet, holding her hair above her head out of the way. Moving forwards, John took over the task of holding her hair as she vomited again. She turned he head to look a John, her face a pale white. "Why does this keep happening, five days in a row now!". John knelt down behind her, rubbing her back softly through her night gown. "I don't know, You might want to see Lauren. Get her to have a look at you.". Cameron nodded before turning her head back as she vomited a third time. Feeling she had nothing left to throw up, Cameron fell back in to John's arms, breathing deeply and erratically.

"This is ridiculous, what's wrong with me?". John held her tight on the floor, shaking his head, no having the faintest idea. "Nothings wrong with you, you've probably just come down with something. Like I said, go and see Lauren later". Cameron again nodded. "She better be able to stop this happening every morning, I don't think I can take anymore". Cameron slowly got to her feet, stretching her arms. John got up also and turning Cameron around to face him. Looking at her face, he was glad to see some of the colour had already returned to her cheeks. "You look better already". Cameron grinned widely before heading back in to their room, looking for some fresh clothes. Allison heard Cameron and John in the bathroom, and yawning loudly, she climbed out of bed and walked in to their room. "Hi mom, you alright?". Allison didn't even wait for a reply before collapsing on to John and Cameron's bed, pulling the blanket over herself. Cameron stopped looking for her clothes and sat back down next to her. "I heard you in the bathroom, are you alright?.

Allison mumbled her words and seemed more interested in getting back to sleep. "I'm okay, just a bit sick". Allison mumbled a little more under her breath. "I love you mom", and without another word, Allison fell asleep again. Looking up, Cameron spotted John standing in the doorway. John looked back, seeing how taken aback she was. "She hasn't said that to me in months, since Sean died". John gave her another large grin. "We played our card game last night. We used to play it back in Century all the time. She told me what's been on her mind. She'll be okay now I think, just give her some time". Smiling at John, she learnt forwards and kissed Allison on the forehead before resuming her search for some fresh clothes.

John and Cameron left ten minutes later and headed towards Lauren's lab. Before they managed to take ten steps, John's radio came to life, making both of them jump in the deserted corridor. "John!, John wake up!". John considered not replying, but the sound of Liz's voice convinced him to reply. "Liz, I'm awake, what's wrong?". "We've just got a transmission from Oregon Bunker, level five priority, get here now!". Cameron raised her eyebrows in surprise, having a huge urge to go to command and punch Liz in the face for talking to John like she was in charge. "I'll be right there". John sighed loudly as he put his radio away. "I'm sorry, you know what level five is, you want to wait for me to go with you later or are you just going to go now?". Cameron shook her head and moved her hands to John's shoulders. "I'll go now, get it over on done with. You go to command, your in charge for a reason, they need you now". Both learning forwards, they kissed. Quickly before John rushed off towards the command room, leaving Cameron alone.

Cameron walked slowly towards Lauren's lab, not really wanting to go there alone, but not really having a choice. Ever since she had her operations to make her human, she only want back to the lab once for her old endoskeleton to burn them. She remembered standing over a large concrete crate, her endoskeleton placed in the centre, surrounded by thermite. With John at her side, he handed her a flare, and she held it up, ready to ignite it. "I remember a time when your mother would have loved to do this". John smiled next to her. "Are you sure about this?, you don't need the endoskeleton any more, but it will be a part of you, its where you came from after all". Cameron smiled back before looking at the flare in her hand. "I know where I came from, I can't change that , but if I'm going to be able to move on from where I came from, I can't have this sitting in the back off the lab". She ignited the flare and held it above the her endoskeleton. Without any hesitation, she dropped the flare and both John and Cameron stepped back as the thermite began to burn and melt the endoskeleton. Cameron grasped John's hand tightly as her old endoskeleton slowing disappeared before her. They stood there and watched until the thermite burnet itself out, leaving nothing left in the crate, her endoskeleton gone forever, and now only existed in her memory.

Cameron opened the door to the lab and stepped inside. Cameron instantly spotted Lauren, asleep at the other end of the room, her head resting on her desk. Cameron walked over and shook her awake. Lauren immediately sat up, looking around widely to see what woke her. Once she spotted Cameron, her sighed with relief and held her head in her hands. "Sorry, I didn't hear you, I must have dozed or something". Lauren stood up and walked towards a table near her desk, making herself something to drink. "You want a drink of something?". Cameron shook her head, feeling like she would be sick if she ate or drank anything. Lauren made herself some coffee and turned to face Cameron, and shook her head again before she took a large gulp of coffee. "So, what can I do for you?". Cameron took a deep breath before replying. "I've been sick lately, I need you to check me over, make sure I'm okay". Lauren nodded and pointed towards the operating table nearest to them, the same one that was used for Cameron's transformation seven months ago. Cameron sat on the table, dreading what Lauren was going to find. As the minutes ticked by, Cameron's nerves went through the roof. What if her body was rejecting itself?, Was she going to die?. As the thoughts kept circling through her mind, she didn't notice Lauren move in front of her, waving her hand before her eyes. "Cameron?".

It was Cameron's turn to shake her head. "Sorry". Lauren didn't say anything for a few seconds, and instead looked closely at her. Lauren raised a small flashlight and shone it in Cameron's eyes. "Have you been feeling different at all?". Thinking back, there were plenty of times in the last few months when she had been feeling different. "I've been dizzy a lot. It happens for no reason, My head feels strange and I have to grab hold of something to stay on my feet". Lauren nodded again and using the flashlight, looked at her eyes again, but more closely. "I keep throwing up in the mornings, every time I wake up, It happens". Lauren put down the flashlight took a small step back. "Lie down". Cameron did what she was told and lay down. "Lauren then pressed her hands softly across Cameron stomach, pressing down softly and then moving her hands to a different spot before pressing down again. "There's something here that's not supposed to be, have you felt anything else, around your stomach?". Cameron thought back to around two months ago. "I felt a cramp, months ago, but it went away quickly and I haven't felt anything since". Lauren raised her hands away from Cameron, shaking her head in surprise. "I need to check your stomach, have you eaten anything different lately".

Cameron shook her head and Lauren disappeared from view, returning thirty seconds later with a medical scanning machine. "I can use this to scan and see what's there". Cameron again nodded as Lauren began setting the scanning machine up. "What does John know?, about you being sick?". Cameron turned her head to Lauren, seeing that she was looking at her with a grin. "He doesn't know about the dizziness, I didn't want to worry him". Lauren smiled widely. "I doubt John would be happy to know you've been keeping things from him". Cameron turned away from Lauren, looking to the ceiling and spoke with an angry voice. "John's got more important things to do then worry about me, just find out what's wrong with me and fix it". Lauren nodded her head and turned the scanner on. "Lift up your top, this will be cold". Cameron, lifted her t shirt up, exposing her skin below her breasts. Lauren raised the scanner smeared with clear coloured gel and pressed it to Cameron's stomach, making her to gasp out as the cold gel touched her skin. The screen of the scanner machine was turned towards Lauren, so Cameron couldn't see it. Cameron just kept her eyes on the ceiling, trying to ignore the coldness of the gel and discomfort of the scan. She tried not to think on what Lauren was going to find, she had already said something was there that shouldn't be there. After about a minute, Lauren removed the scanner from Cameron's stomach. "Well there is nothing to indicate any type of abnormality with your stomach".

Cameron turned her head towards Lauren, surprised. "If its not my stomach, what is it?". Lauren looked away at Cameron and instead stared at Cameron stomach. She raised the scanner and pressed it to Cameron's skin again, this time moving the scanner lower down the abdomen. Once Lauren was able to see the screen, her mouth dropped and she stared to the screen in complete shock. She raised the scanner from Cameron's skin and blinked firmly before lowering it again. It was like Lauren didn't believe what she was seeing but her facial expression didn't change when she looked again. "Lauren, your scaring me, what's wrong?". Cameron was more nervous now then she ever, she knew Lauren had found something and by the look on her face, it didn't look good. Lauren looked at Cameron and back to the screen again, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's impossible, you can't, you just can't". Cameron was close to tears, she was sure she was going to be told she was going to die. "Lauren, just tell me, what is it?". Lauren turned to her and muttered two words to Cameron that she thought she would never hear, something that was impossible. Lauren took a deep breath and said, "Your Pregnant!".

Cameron tired so hard not to faint. She had never been so taken aback since John asked her to marry him. She wasn't sure she had heard Lauren right. "What did you say?". Lauren looked towards the screen again, shaking her head at the impossible. "Your pregnant, I don't know how, but your pregnant". Cameron eyes widened. She didn't know if she was more happy or shocked by what Lauren had said to her. "Can I see?". Cameron's voice was trembling so mush she was forced to repeat herself. Lauren nodded and turned the screen towards her. Cameron clapped her hand over her mouth as she was seeing her own baby, growing inside of her. Lauren moved herself slightly to see the screen herself, but keeping a hold of the scanner to Cameron's skin. "I don't know how you did it, you shouldn't be able to get pregnant, you don't have your own DNA, or at least I don't think you do". Cameron shook her head slightly, not taking her eyes off the screen. "I don't care how it happened, I don't care!, that's my baby, mine and John's". Tears began falling rapidly down her cheeks, not tears of sadness but tears of joy. Lauren couldn't help but keep the grin off her face as she watched Cameron cry at the sight of her baby on the screen.

"Here, If I can get this right, then I might be able to do something for you". Lauren began turning one of the small knobs next to the screen and also moved the scanner slightly. "Listen!". They both listened hard as Lauren turned the Knob. Slowly, they both could hear a low drumming sound, coming from the scanning machine. "That's your baby's heartbeat". Cameron cried out with joy, trying hard to stop crying but couldn't help herself but to carry on crying. "From what I can see and hear, the baby's very healthy, I'll be back in a minute". Lauren quickly left the room, leaving Cameron alone with her eyes fixed on the screen. Cameron didn't even notice her leaving, she didn't care, nothing mattered more to her at this moment then looking at the impossible something that she was sure could never happen, her baby. Lauren with an old book that looked like she found it in a sewage pipe and began scanning through it. She noticed Cameron's confused look. "This came in useful when my mom was pregnant with my sister, I might be able to see how old it is". Cameron nodded before returning her gaze to the screen. Lauren then looked towards the screen and back to the book again, muttering under her breath. After a few minutes, she closed the book with a large smile.

"From what I can tell, your about twelve weeks pregnant". Cameron held her hands to cover her mouth, covering her large grin. Lauren turned off the screen, and removed the scanner from her skin. Cameron felt shocked and angry, she wanted to stay and look at her baby. "This is a very unique situation and I will have to monitor you very closely, but from what I can see you seem to be in perfect health and the baby is absolutely fine. All your symptoms, morning sickness, dizziness, stomach cramps, that's all normal during pregnancy, so don't worry about it". Cameron nodded and sat up, rolling her t shirt back down to cover her belly but she kept her hands on her stomach. Lauren turned and picked up a syringe. "I'm going to take some blood. Just a small amount. I want to see how this is possible. You can't get pregnant if you don't have your own DNA. You are pregnant so you must have some sort of DNA".

Cameron nodded and held out her arm. Cameron closed her eyes and ignored the discomfort as Lauren took some blood from her arm. Cameron felt Lauren remove the needle from her and Cameron opened her eyes, seeing her blood in the syringe, the sight making her feel a little sick again. "Now you better go tell John your having his baby and Allison she's going to have a little brother or sister". Though she never followed anyone's orders except John's, Cameron got off the bed and wrapped her arms around Lauren. "Thank you, with out you, none of this could have happened, you and Allison, you both did this for me". Cameron felt Lauren pat her on the back a few times before pulling away. "Go on, go see your husband". Smiling widely at her, Cameron ran for the door and stepped in to the corridor, determined to get to him as quickly as possible.

John walked in to the command room, seeing that everyone there was in complete silence. John spotted Liz and walked over. "Liz, what's wrong, what was the message". Liz jumped and looked at John, holding her hand over her heart. Everyone in the room turned to look at John, making him as always, feel a little uncomfortable. "Sorry John, I was miles away". Judging by the looks on the other faces in the room, they hadn't seen him enter the room either. "What's wrong?, what's happened?". Liz shook her head and looked to the floor. John knew instantly that something was really wrong because Liz only ever looked to the floor when something big was happening, and that big something usually meant that a lot of people were going to die. John put his hands on her shoulders, making her look up at him again. "Just tell me, you've known me for years, you can tell me anything, what's wrong?". Liz didn't talk an instead pointed to the computer nearest to her. The woman using the computer raised her hand and pressed a single button. The first thing John heard was static, but slowly, the static faded and he and everyone in the room heard the sounds of screams and gunfire. A single voice spoke, that of a young woman, crying hysterically.

"This message is for John Connor. Oh god, I hope you get this sir. The machines are here, at Oregon. They are killing everyone, the children, all the children are dead. They tore them apart. My daughter, they killed my daughter, she was only two weeks old, my baby, they killed my baby girl". John instantly shook his head, hating every word he was hearing. "The machines are using the nuclear plant, at Avila Beach!, trying to cause a meltdown, kill us all. If you get this, then you have to stop them sir, your John Connor, its too late for us here, but you need to save everyone else, stop the machines at the plant, save us all". The sounds of screams and gunfire intensified in the background. "FUCKING MACHINES, I'LL KILL YOU ALL!". More gunfire was heard, but seconds later they heard the woman scream out as she was killed by the machines. The gunfire and screams all stopped, and all John and the others could hear could hear were footsteps, being made by the feet of metal machines. A huge explosion was heard and the message ended, leaving everyone in the room in silence.

John knew that they people at Oregon had set explosives to prevent the machines capturing anything useful, destroying Oregon bunker forever. John held his hand over his eyes shaking his head. He felt a surge of guilt as more people had died, people he couldn't save, but he was John Connor, he should be able to save them, they all looked to him to do it and yet they were dead. The nuclear plant, John knew the plant in question was the one at Serrano Point. He hadn't been there, but Cameron had, and so had Sarah. It was also there that Sarah made the fatal mistake to go through a contaminated room with out protection, which ultimately led to her death. While there, they had stopped a meltdown from happening and by the sounds of the message, John would have to go and stop the machines trying it again. Holding his hand to his forehead, he tried to think on what to do, but other thoughts kept surging through him. Why did so many have to die?, even a two week old girl had been killed, not even having a chance to smile or laugh in life.

John really wanted to go and sit alone, but he couldn't, not with everyone looking at him for answers, for leadership. "How long until the machines can cause a meltdown?". Everyone began looking at each other, not having a faintest idea, except the woman who earlier had started the message. "Sir, my father used to work at the plant, I learnt I few things from him, give me ten minutes and I'll find out how long". John turned to look at her, making the young woman gulp. "okay, get it done, I need to know how long we've got to stop them". The woman gave a nod and began working furiously on the computer, two others leaning over her shoulders, lending assistance. "Bring up all the information we have on the Avila beach area on the wall screen". With in seconds, the wall screen turned on and a birds eye view of Avila beach appeared. John could clearly make out the power plant near the centre. Liz appeared next to John, looking at the screen with him. "Your not thinking of doing what I think you are going to do, are you?". John nodded.

"It depends on how long we've got until the meltdown. Looking at the screen, John could see the power plant was build out of the way of civilian homes. This meant that they wasn't a lot of cover when approaching the plant, meaning anyone moving nearby would be spotted quickly. "Sir, I've got it, the meltdown will happen in…. just under forty eight hours". The woman's voice dropped as she told John how long they had. John closed his eyes in frustration. "Damn it, its not enough time". Liz looked at John, a little sign of hope in her face. "If the power plant goes in to meltdown, we should be okay. I mean, we survived Judgement day, all the bombs, we should be able to survive this". John instantly shook his head, knowing that he and everyone couldn't bare to live through another Judgement day. "No, we would survive the meltdown but we would be trapped in the bunkers, underground, unable to move. How long do you think we'd last before we run out of food and water. How long do you think until people start to starve and become desperate?. We've all seen what happens when people get desperate, it will be like those years after Judgement day all over again. Murder!, rape!, it will all happen again. We'll kill each other, wipe our selves out".

Liz backed down instantly, her eyes fixing on the floor again. John looked around the room, seeing all the familiar faces, most of them had been in warehouse seventeen with him, for six long years, working and planning to escape, to fight back. Back then, nothing could have convinced any of them to quit, but seeing their faces now, he could see their doubts and fear. One of them stepped forwards, "We should run, take as many people as we can and head south, the further south we go, the safer we'll be". Liz's brother William, next stepped forwards, "We should do what Liz said, sit tight, we survived once, we can survive again". Their words erupted in to a full argument, people began screaming at each other, trying to get their point across. Only John was left in silence, backing himself against the wall. As he watch the scene before him, he knew he had to say something. Taking out his pistol, John primed it and fired at the ceiling, silencing everyone in the room. Putting his gun away, John took a deep breath and spoke up so everyone could hear him.

"Look, most of you were in Century with me, we spend six years together, working together, living together, suffering together, seeing our friends, our loved ones die before our eyes, even before they were taken away to be murdered. I'm not supposed to trust anyone, trust is something that can get me killed. But I do trust, I trust every single one of you because I know what you've been through, I was with you every step of the way. There isn't a moment when I wouldn't gladly give my life to save any one of yours. We've been through so much together, all of us. But I can see your doubts and your fears, I just need to look at your faces to see them. I know your scared, one of life's greatest secrets is that everyone is scared. I'm terrified of the world, I feel fear, and hate and remorse just like any of you. I know some of you want to run, to run as far away as you can. I know others want to sit tight, wait it out, wait until we can go back outside again. But we can't you all know we can't. If we sit tight, we'll die, if we all run, we die. If we die, we loose the war and there won't be a future for our children and our children's children. I'm asking you to keep trusting me, to help me, I can't fight this war alone, I need you, need you all. John finished his speech, surprised at himself for saying so much. Looking around, he was more surprised to see the impact of his words on them. Some were shaking their heads, other looked down at the floor, ashamed of themselves for their actions.

Liz stepped forwards, also holding her head in shame. "I'm sorry, you saved me from that gang, that first day we met, you saved me. I never stopped trusting you and I never will. You saved us from Century and I'll never forget that, I'm with you to the end". John gave a nod of thanks to her and Liz moved herself behind John, making John feel like he was recruiting a gang. As soon as Liz stopped, Liz's brother, William again stepped forwards. "You me and my sister from a machine before this war even stated, you've been fighting these things your entire life. You walk in to hell, I'm right behind you. I'm with you until I die, I swear it, you lead, we follow". Everyone else began muttering the same words, "You lead, we follow, you lead, we follow, you lead, we follow". Eventually, they all began shouting in union, "YOU LEAD, WE FOLLOW!, YOU LEAD, WE FOLLOW!". John had never felt so grateful to hear them say what they were. He felt himself going red in the face, but he didn't care, he knew that he had them with him, that together, they would all march to Avila Beach and take the power plant, and they can win this war, and win it they shall. Hearing a familiar voice shouting the words, he turned himself to see Allison standing near the door way, a large grin on her face as she shouted the words.

Smiling back, he shouted back, "IF YOUR WITH ME, THEN LETS GO AND WIN THIS WAR!". Everyone screamed and cheered, shooting there arms in the air. They eventually began getting to work, working as fast as they could, more determination in their eyes now then there was when they broke out of Century. "Contact Perry, tell him to move his troops to Avila Beach and we need anyone and everyone who knows how to operate a power plant. I don't care how much they know, find them and get them here". Allison made her way through the crowd, the grin on her face still fixed. "Good speech, nice and short". John couldn't half but grin back. "It leaves more time for drinking, except we drank it all at you and your mothers birthday that time". They both laughed loudly, and John felt more relive as he hadn't heard her laugh for a long time. "Where's mom?". John had to think hard, completely forgetting about Cameron with what had just happened. "She want to the lab, to see Lauren, she wasn't feeling well". Allison nodded and turned and left for the labs, disappearing behind the door. Before John could even turn away, Allison came back through the door, quickly followed by Cameron.

"I heard what you said on the radio, I'm impressed". John gave a smile. "I'm glad I can still surprise you". Grinning herself, she learn in and kissed John deeply, both quickly become lost in the passion of the kiss. Allison pushed the two apart, shaking her head. "I am here you know, stop embarrassing me, you've got plenty of time for that later". Shaking her head again, she moved away from them both, disappearing through the crowd, looking for Liz. "I forgot to ask, what did Lauren say?, are you alright?". Cameron didn't seem to notice and instead looked at the wall screen, seeing the power plant. "Serrano Point?, what's going on?". John quickly explained the situation to her. Looking at the wall screen, she pointed towards a ruined building near the plant. "We can use the bar as cover, its about two hundred metres to the plant from there, if we're lucky, we can get inside the plant with out the machines outside seeing us". John nodded, not really interested in what she was saying. "Yeah, great, what did Lauren say?".

Cameron turned to him, desperately wanting to tell him the good news, but instinct told her told hold back, not to tell him yet. "Nothing, she said I had a bug or something, I'll be okay in a few days". Something about the look on John's face convinced her that he didn't believe a word she said. He didn't reply to her words and waited for her to tell him the truth. Cameron didn't say anything to him, hoping he wouldn't press the issue. "Okay, lets hope it doesn't take too long" . Leaning forwards, he kissed her, just the way she liked it, making her feel more guilty about not telling him. When he broke the kiss, John smiled and moved away, in to the crowd and began talking with Perry on the radio.

Before Cameron joined him, she tried to understand why she had not told him. She didn't know why she had not shared the single most important thing with the man she loved, she hadn't kept any secrets from him since they confessed their love for one another. Once that happened, she told John all her secrets, everything she had ever kept from him, but now, the most important thing to happen to them both, having their own baby after thinking for so long that they could never have one, and she hadn't told him about it. But then it hit her, she had to kept the news to herself for now. If she told him now, he wouldn't let her go with him to Serrano Point, where she was needed. He'd make sure she was safe, keep her out of the way, out of danger. She didn't want that, she wanted to be at John's side when he goes there tomorrow. Though she hated herself for it, she took a deep breath and joined in with the planning of the attack the next day, swearing to herself that she would tell him he was going to be a father, the moment the battle was over.

The journey to Serrano Point reminded John of his and Cameron's first trip through the deserts of Mexico before Century work camp. He and Cameron had joined by with hundreds of people, just trying to escape the terror that was behind them. This time, John was joined by hundreds of solders, heading through the ruins of LA to Serrano Point, to fight a battle that could decide the fate of the entire war. Everyone moved in silence, not just as a rule when out of the bunkers, but as they were all nervous about what they were about to be a part of. They arrived just a few miles from the power plant, and John and Cameron met with General Perry, who upon spotting them, instantly saluted to them. "Sir, good to see you,". John gave a salute back while Cameron nodded to him. "Follow me, sir". Perry led John and Cameron in to ruined building nearby. Inside, they were numerous computer terminals being set up as quickly as possible. Perry stopped and turned to them both. "Sir, I've got three thousand men waiting for your order to advance, and from our sources, we've got three hours until the power plant goes in to meltdown". Both John and Cameron looked at each other at surprise. "We had it at eight hours, three hours isn't enough time".

Perry shook his head. "Skynet must have found out what we were going to do, it stepped up its plans. We need to change ours". John resisted the urge to punch the wall and stepped forward, looking at the map on the wall screen that had been set up. "Cameron, yesterday, you said something about an old bar we could use as cover to get in the plant". Stepping forwards, Cameron looked at the map and pointed towards some ruins near the plant. "There, if Perry can keep the machines busy on the other side of the plant, we can get a small team through the back door, take the plant from behind them". Perry instantly shook his head. "I think the machines will see that coming, they have all their firepower pointed in our direction, but I doubt they will leave the back door unguarded". Cameron looked to John for support as was pleased to see him nodding his head in her favour. "Skynet's is willing to cause a nuclear meltdown to try and kill us. It thinks I'll attack with everything I have at the front, try a punch a whole through to the plant, they won't think I'll send some men behind them. We need you to keep them distracted Perry, keep the machines busy, while we go in from behind, we'll escort the technicians to step the meltdown".

Perry instantly began looking at them both shaking his head with surprise. "You can't be considering doing it yourselves, you can't do that, I won't let you, I know some men who can get the job done". "Good, get those men to us now, and we'll go right away, we need to get to the plant as soon as possible". Perry just stared at the two of them, thinking they were insane for what they were wanting to do and for a moment, he didn't look like he would do what they asked, but he eventually nodded his head and walked to the other end of the room and talking to some of the men there, who began working on the computer terminals they were on. John followed Perry and began Woking with him in working out the plan in more detail, while their strike team in to the camp was being assembled.

As Cameron watched him, she felt her eyes turn to the back of her head and she lost her balance. Reaching out, she managed grab hold on to the wall, preventing her falling over. Breathing in deeply, she looked around and was glad no one had noticed. She shook her head, trying to throw the dizziness out of her but it just made her feel worse. Moving her self slowly, she moved out of the room and in to the corridor. Leaning against the wall, she slid down it to the floor, her head feeling still feeling dizzy. She sat still for a few minutes, waiting for the dizziness to disappear, which it slowly did. As she waited, she ran her hands across her belly, knowing the reason for her dizziness was because of the child growing inside of her. Slowly, she got to her feet and walked back in to the room. John spotted her and walked over, looking at her with concern. Stopping before her, he looked in to her eyes and shook his head, raising his hand to touch her cheek. Cameron raised her own hand, keeping his hand in place. "You look pale, are you okay?".#

Cameron nodded her head with a smile but John shook his head again. "You not telling me something, Cameron, what is it?, please tell me". Cameron lowered her head, disappointed at herself for being unable to last a day since seeing Lauren before feeling dizzy again. "Is it something to do with what Lauren found?". Cameron gave a nod, still keeping her head lowered. "Its not just a stomach bug that's making you sick, what is it, is it bad?". By the sound of his voice, she could tell that John was scared that something was very wrong. "It's not bad, I promise, it's just I can't tell you, not yet, I want to tell you, I do, but I can't". Looking up, she could see John was a little hurt by her words. "I love you Cameron, I always have done, you can tell me anything". "I know you do, and I will tell you, as soon as this is over, once the battles finished, I'll tell you, I promise".

John didn't look satisfied but he backed down, this time nodding his head. "Okay, at least go and find Lauren before we set out,, she'll be setting up the field hospital outside, get her to have another look at you, please, for me". Cameron nodded and in the process, she raised her other hand to take John's away from her cheek. With her fingers, she ran them over his wedding ring. "I love you too, I always have done, and will do until the day I die". Letting go of each others hands, they stood they for a brief second just gazing in to each others eyes, waiting for the other to make the first move. When neither of them did, they moved together, their lips locking, their arms wrapping around each other. John didn't know why, but this kiss made him feel like the time when he kiss her right before he left her alone on the basement of their old house, right before she went in to stand by mode. Though he knew she had now lost the ability to go in to standby mode, when they broke apart, he was more then happy to see she was still awake, still there with him.

Cameron made her way out of the building and outside. Stepping out in to the cold morning air, she began to walk towards some brown tents being set up nearby, which was to be the medical aid station. As she walked, many people stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Ignoring them, she spotted Lauren talking with another woman, with dark long hair. Lauren spotted Cameron and stepped her conversation, turning herself to face Cameron as she approached. "You look like hell, are you alright?". Cameron shook her head, bringing her hand up to move some of her hair out of her face. "I nearly collapsed, I was so dizzy, I couldn't focus on anything". Lauren nodded, looking around at he nearest tent to them. "Come on, I'll have a look at you". Cameron followed Lauren in to the tent and was in turn followed by the woman with the dark hair. Cameron turned to look at her, wondering why she was following. "Oh, this is my sister Sidney, Sidney, this is Cameron Connor". Sidney held out her shaking hand and Cameron took it with a smile. Lauren opened a steel box and began sorting through some medical equipment, finding a small flash light. Cameron sat down on a small fold out chair and let Lauren look in to her eyes. "When was the last time you drank anything?". Cameron didn't answer, not remembering when she did last have a drink. "Sidney, get a bottle of water, quickly". Sidney nodded her head and hurried out of the tent.

"You've got to remember your not a machine anymore, you can't just pick and choose when to eat and drink, you need to remember to eat and drink everyday, like the rest of us, especially in your condition". Cameron tilted her head to one side, not knowing what Lauren meant by her condition. Lauren quickly saw she was confused. "Your pregnant, your eating and drinking for two now, not just yourself, you need to remember for your baby, your body is dehydrated". "Is the baby okay?". Cameron felt ashamed at herself for her actions could have resulted in her baby coming to harm. "The baby will be fine, its only been a day since I last saw it". Looking up, she saw that Sidney had returned and was listening to them talk, and she looked speechless. "Your pregnant?, congratulations!". Cameron gave a small smile and took the bottle of water she was holding out. "Drink it down now, it will make you feel better". Taking the top off the bottle, Cameron did what she was told, drinking the entire bottle. Taking a few deep breaths when she finished, she was glad to feel better already. Handing the empty bottle to Sidney she noticed that Sidney was staring at her again. "What are you looking at?". Sidney shook her head and looked at the ground with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, its just I know all about you, about what you used to be, and what you did for me and my sister and my mother".

Looking around at Lauren, Cameron felt betrayed that Lauren had told someone about her being a machine. "I've raised Sidney since she was born, I've never kept a secret from her, she hasn't told anybody and never will, don't worry, take off your jacket and lift up your top, I'm going to check your baby is okay". Cameron nodded and took her jacket off and held up her t-shirt, showing her belly. Looking down, she did notice that he belly looked a little larger then she remembered it, though not by much. Looking at Sidney, she noticed she was staring again, but this time, Sidney held out her hand before retracting it again. "I'm sorry, may I?". Cameron nodded and Sidney raised her hand and held it to Cameron's belly, quickly followed by Lauren. "Sidney's a medic at Eagle Rock bunker. She's delivered over twenty babies, she knows all about this, more then I do". Lauren let go of Cameron and got a sonar machine out,. She handed it to Sidney, who held it to her belly and instantly the repetitive beat of the baby's heart echoed from the sonar. Cameron instantly smiled and looked at Sidney who smiled in return saying "That's your baby, strong and healthy" Cameron felt a little nervous as she heard movement in the distance, outside of the tent, it sounded as if the machines were ready to move.

Sidney removed the sonar and said "Your baby is fine, its healthy and strong but you need to eat and drink a lot more then you are doing". Cameron nodded, and pulled her t-shirt back down and pulled her jacket back on. Lauren held out her hand and Cameron saw a couple of biscuits in her hand "Ginger, it'll help with the sickness and dizziness." Cameron nodded and crunched a biscuit and drank some more water. "Thank you, I need to get back quickly". "Before you go, what did John say when you told him". Cameron's face dropped instantly to the floor, her eyes fixed in the ground. "I haven't told him". Both Lauren and Sidney looked at each other and then back at Cameron, Lauren looking disappointed. "Why not?, don't you think he should know?, especially since you both though you could never have your own children".

Cameron raised her gaze from the floor. "I haven't told him because if I do, he won't let me go with him to Serrano Point, and I'm needed there with him, I'll tell him the moment the battle's over". Lauren nodded her head, but her face showed Cameron that she disapproved. "Your second in command, I can't tell you what to do, but if I were you, I'd tell him now". Cameron gave a small smile and turned to leave. "Remember to eat and drink more". Cameron stepped out of the tent and made her way back towards the ruined building and to John, smiling at Laurens parting words. As she walked, it was clear that the solders were ready for the battle. Some stood with plasma rifles, others with rocket launchers. Others were stood on top of trucks, holding on to mounted plasma machine guns and rocket launchers, ready to attack the machines.

As she approached the building, she saw a group of about solders standing together. As she walked past them, they all turned and watched her. One of them stepped forwards and saluted to her and only after she looked a second time, she realised she was staring at Kyle Reese, her father in law. Cameron had never met Kyle and now that she finally did, she felt like she was meeting an old friend. "Kyle Reese, we haven't met before". She held out her hand and Kyle Reese took it. "No we haven't, but your John's wife, he showed me a picture of you once, when you were younger". Kyle smiled at her before turning around and rejoining the group behind him. Cameron instantly recognised Kyle's smile as John's smile and also noticed how much alike they looked. "Cameron, are you alright?". Turing away from the group, Cameron was met by John again. "Yes, Lauren gave me something to help, I'll be fine". John nodded, looking around at the group. "We have to go now, the machines are moving towards us here". Cameron nodded and took her plasma rifle from John as he handed it to her. John walked to the group of solders, all of them going silent. "Kyle, good to see you, ready to move". Kyle gave a small nod to John. "We move on your word, sir".

Cameron moved to John's side an they set off towards the back of the encampment, to try and work their way around the battlefield. They spotted a trench up ahead, which by the looks of it, led all the way up towards the bar Cameron pointed out earlier. "Everyone, in the trench, single file and keep low". One by one, the men and women jumped down in to the trench. John jumped down in to the trench after half of the solders did, followed closely by Cameron. John held up his radio. "Perry, it's time, good luck". "You to sir". Perry's voice came back through the radio. Instantly after, a huge rumble was heard as the tuck in the Resistance encampment thundered to life and began to move. The stick team moved along the trench as quickly as they could, ducking down more and more and they got further along as the trench became less deeper. The group stopped and John looked over the solder in front of him towards the front, seeing Kyle, who had been leading the way, had stopped in his tracks.

John took his radio again. "Kyle, what's up?". "We're too exposed, the machines will see us if we move past this point". John moved himself up, so he could see the battlefield. He could see the enormous HK tanks roll forwards slowly, with large aerials escorting them. John looked to where the machines were headed and saw nothing at first glance. But as he looked closely, he could make out the figures of solders, lying prone on the ground, waiting in ambush. John turned to his left and saw Cameron had also stood up to see, and was having trouble doing so as she was on the tip of her toes. John wrapped his arm around her, helping her to balance. She didn't speak, but gave him a loving smile in thanks. John held up the radio again. "Kyle, sit tight, when the attack begins, run for it". "Yes sir". The machines kept showily moving forwards, until they were very close to the solders waiting in ambush.

Suddenly, the solders rose from their hiding places and fired at everything in front of them. Four of the tanks in front of them were destroyed instantly, quickly followed by two more. A huge exchange of plasma and rocket fire then erupted through out the battlefield. The Resistance solders moved forward, using the remains of the tanks as cover as they fired at the advancing machine's. The aerials and drones flew over the solders, firing at anything that moved and were met by return fire, destroying many drones and forcing the aerials back. "Kyle, lets go, their distracted". Everyone had forgotten why they were there to watch the opening exchange of fire from the battle. Kyle, ran forwards, quickly followed by the second solder and then the third. Perry's voice came on to through the radio, "Sir, we've stalled their advance, but I can't guarantee it will stay that way". John looked back up again and saw that indeed, the machines had stopped advancing, its tanks unable to move forwards as the remains of the other tanks blacked their way. "Good, job Perry, keep at it". "Yes, sir". Just as John finished, it was his turn to move. Moving forwards, he could feel how close behind him Cameron was and he could tell that she was scared. Looking around, he took her hand and they ran across the gap together, jumping back in to the trench on the other side. Knowing that John was looking out for her seemed to boost Cameron's confidence again. She took the lead of John this time, guiding him after Kyle and the others. It took nearly twenty minutes to make it to the bar on the other side of the trench.

The trench went right through the old car park next to the building. Looking over the side of the trench. John could see a large hold in the wall, where the door in to the building used to be. "Kyle, your and the first four, check it out, quickly!". Kyle and four of the solders jumped out of the trench and ran in to the building, rifles raised and ready. John, Cameron and the others waited, listening to the battle going on not to far away from them. John and Cameron listened to his radio, listening to what people were saying. At one moment, John was sure he heard Derek Reese's voice, giving an order to take down an aerial. Looking at Cameron, he knew he wasn't hearing things as she looked like she had heard the same thing. Kyle Reese reappeared back from the building, out of breath but looking pleased. "The buildings clear, sir". John nodded and put his radio away. One by one, everyone got out of the trench and moved in to the building. Once inside, John moved to one of the broken windows and looked towards the power plant. Cameron appeared next to him and pointed towards the doors on the side of the plant. "There, we go through there and its not far to the control room". John nodded and looked up to the sky. "GET DOWN!".

Dropping to the floor, they watched as an aerial flew past them, moving towards the battle. The aerial stopped and turned to face the building they were hiding in. It's lights shot on and it scanned the building and John thought they had been discovered. After about a minute, the machine turned again and flew towards the battle again. "That was too close". They moved away from the window. "Kyle, You can see the entrance to the power plant just outside this window, find a way to get there with out being seen if you can". With a nod, Kyle left through a door out of the room. Cameron pointed towards two of the solders. "You two, go with him, no one should go anywhere alone". The two solders left quickly after Kyle. John looked at Cameron who merely gave a grin back. John heard Perry's voice on the radio again but he wasn't speaking to him. "Hold the line!, we need to give the Connor's more time, hold the line!".

Cameron didn't like the sound of what she head and she didn't like the look on John's face, knowing that they were being pressed hard and wouldn't be long until the were completely routed. Turing away from the window, John led the way through the door Kyle went through earlier. John thought he had stepped back outside in to the open. The far was on the room was a pile of rubble and the ceiling was also rubble on the floor. Crouching near a small part of the wall that was left standing, was Kyle and the two solders Cameron sent after him. Kyle turned upon hearing them and then turned to look back outside. "Sir, there's no cover from here to the entrance, we'll have to just run for it, go in pairs, two at a time". Another aerial flew over their position, along with dozens of drones. Keeping a low profile, the group remains still until the aerials and drones had gone, disappearing in to the chaos of the battlefield.

John moved himself forwards, and could see the entrance inside the power plant clearly. "Okay, Cameron, you stay here, send everyone over in pairs, Kyle, you and me are going over first". Both Kyle and Cameron nodded. John stuck his head out, looking left, right and above them, seeing if it was clear. "Ready, let's go". John ran out first with Kyle right behind him. They ran as if they were being chased, not looking back, just running as fast as possible. Quickly, John and Kyle hit the door, pushing it open and stepped inside. With their rifles held up, they scanned the scene in front of them. The power plant looked empty, but it was clear that it was active. The machinery on power red up and the alarm had gone off, signalling that a meltdown was close to happening. Though the area looked clear, neither Kyle nor John lowered their weapons, it all looked to easy. John looked to his left, seeing a flight of stairs led up to a catwalk above them. "Something's not right, an ambush maybe?". Kyle nodded and stepped forwards, taking cover near the bottom of the catwalk.

"You better start bringing them over, if there is a ambush, we need more then just us". John turned and looked back towards the ruined bar, spotting Cameron waiting for his signal, her brown hair blowing in the wind. He waved his hand, and Cameron waved back. A second later, two solders waiting behind her began to run across. They John covered the two from the power plant entrance while Cameron did the same from the ruined bar. The two solders arrived at the entrance and took positions at where Kyle pointed. John waved his hand again and so did Cameron, sending two more across. They repeated the process until everyone except Cameron and one of the solders were across. John looked one last time to see it was clear and waved his hand.

The moment he did, Cameron and the other solder broke in to a run to get across. Before they got half way, John spotted something moving towards them in the air at high speed. Gazing at it for a few seconds, he realised it was a drone. The drone fired two rockets at the two, forcing John t go back outside. "CAMERON, GET DOWN!". Cameron did what she was told, dropping to the floor and dragging the other solder down with her. The rockets shot right over them and continued on towards the plant, hitting the wall and exploding, leaving a large hole. John took aim and fired with his plasma rifle, but due to the drone's high speed, he missed. Cameron and the solder got back up and broke in to another run. The drone flew closer and fired again, just seconds before John managed to destroy it. The second pair of rockets again zoomed for Cameron and again, Cameron didn't notice as she had her back to it.

With out thinking, John threw his plasma rifle aside and ran forwards. He and Cameron met seconds later and John threw them both to the ground, making sure he landed on top of her to shield her. The rocket missed Cameron and hit the wall of the plant, leaving a second hole, but the other rocket hit the other solder in the back, killing him instantly. More drones appeared in the air, rushing towards Cameron and John's location. "We have to go". Rolling off Cameron and getting to his feet, he helped Cameron back up and they ran, hand in hand towards to plant entrance. Kyle and six others from the group all appeared at the entrance and fired wildly at the swam of drones descending on them. John managed to bend down and grab his discarded plasma rifle while still moving. Running inside the plant, Kyle and the other closed the doors behind them. Taking a few seconds to breath, Perry's voice came through on the radio. "Connor!, what the hell have you done?".

Everyone turned to look at him as John took out his radio and held it up. "What do you mean?". "I mean you've got a hell of a lot of metal on the way. You better get yourself out of there, now!". John shook his head, seeing that everyone didn't look pleased about the impending machine attack on them. "I'm not leaving until I've stopped the meltdown!". "Sir, with all due respect, you'll be killed, if you die, we'll loose everything". "Yeah, and if I turn and run now, we'll still all die, I'm not going anywhere". There was a long silence as John waited for Perry to reply. "Yes sir!". John could sense a lot of pride in Perry's voice, making him feel a little better with their situation. "Kyle, take point!, get us to the control room, quickly, we haven't got long left". Kyle moved forwards slowly, rifle held up. Everyone else followed slowly, branching off in different directions around the machinery in the plant. The moved through the plant with out any problems and eventually found themselves heading along some corridors, only a few hundred metres from the control room. As they moved along, Both John and Cameron became increasingly nervous. This was too easy, way to easy. The should have run in to some machines by now. "Kyle, stop!". Kyle did indeed stop moving and turned. "Something's wrong". "I know, we should have seen some metal by now". John this time moved forwards, taking the lead of Kyle and came to a corner.

He slowly moved his head around , just enough to see what was there. He could see the control room, and he could also see machines. There were at least two T ones, both waiting with their twin machine guns. There were also four T triple eights, all four guarding the entrance to the control room. John moved back before he could be seen and turned to face the others. "There's T triple eights and T ones guarding the control room, the corridors to narrow with no rooms to go in for cover, we can't head through that way". Cameron moved forwards and looked around herself, also being careful not to be seen. "There should be another way around. If I can get there and make the machines follow me, you might have a clear run to get inside". John nodded and turned to the rest of the group. "Who here knows how to stop the meltdown?". At least nine of them raised their hands, all of them rather slowly, nervous on what John planned for them. "Okay, you stay here with me and Kyle, Everyone else, go with Cameron!". Cameron gave a small smile as she walked past John and down the corridor, most of the group following her, leaving John, Kyle and the nine who rose their hands behind. Both John and Kyle waited nervously for Cameron to distract the machines. John stuck his had around again to look, seeing the machines hadn't moved from their spots. As John looked, the T one closed to him moved its had in his direction and began moving down the corridor towards in, its tank like tracks making a squeaking sound as it moved. "Shit, I think It saw me". The machine continued down and John heard Kyle get ready behind him. Before the machine got to them however, John heard the sounds of plasma fire from down the corridor. Moving his head back to look, the T one coming towards him began to reverse back towards the control room, where the other T one and the T triple eights were in the middle of a fire fight with Cameron and the others. Two of the T triple eights took direct shots to the head and fell.

The other two T triple eights, as well as the two T ones, advanced on Cameron, leaving the control room exposed. "Lets go". Kyle and John led the way quickly down the corridor, the sounds of plasma fire from around the corner and explosions from the battle outside made it almost impossible to hear anything else. Getting to the end of the corridor, just outside of the control room, John turned the corner and with Kyle and the others with him, they fired at the T one's and T triple eights from behind, destroying them all. "Get in there, stop the meltdown!". Two of the solders behind down moved in to the room. Two shots were heard, followed by two screams and two bodies fell to the floor. John and Kyle took position on either side of the door, rifles ready. The alarms in the power plant began to get louder as a second alarm went off, telling them a meltdown was imminent. One of the solders behind John, moved forwards, Sir, its almost past the point of no return, we've got seconds before its irreversible". John looked and Kyle, and took a deep breath. "Its now or never!". Kyle nodded. "On three?, one, two, THREE!".

Both John and Kyle moved in to the room, and both instantly saw a single T triple eight. Driving in opposite directions, the machine didn't know who to target first, which gave John and Kyle the advantage they needed. Both taking aim, they fired together, and hit the machine in the head. The machine shuddered but didn't fall, forcing John and Kyle to fire again. This time the machine did fall, were it remained still on the ground. John looked to the computers in the room, seeing the words ' MELTDOWN IMMINANT', on the closest computer, flashing repeatedly. John looked towards the door, "All clear, get in here now!". The others all ran in and instantly got to work to stop the meltdown. Cameron arrived seconds later, taking her place next to John. "Kyle, make sure the corridor is secure!". Kyle nodded and left the room, giving orders to the other solders outside. "Sir, I don't think we can stop it!".

The solder pointed to the wall, and to the main computer screen, showing John and Cameron a timer, showing that there was only thirty seconds left. "Just keep trying, we have to stop it, everyone dies of we don't". The solder got back to work, typing quickly on the computer. Everyone turned to look at him as he typed,, some holding their hands over their mouths, some looked away altogether, not able to bare to look. As the time ticked down past twenty seconds, John and Cameron grasped each others hands tightly. The timer went passed ten seconds and the solder who was typing was close to panicking. Eight seconds, sweat dropped from his face on to his hands as he typed. Five seconds left, he started swearing under his breath, "Come on, shit, shit, shit, come on!". The alarms intensity increased, causing Cameron and John close their eyes in fear that they had failed. Three, two, One, and then silence.

John and Cameron's eyes shot open, their hands shaking in each others grip. Looking around, they saw everyone else in the room was in the same condition they were in, looking around with confusion and fear in their faces. The solder who had been working on the computer fell back on to the floor, breathing erratically. John looked towards the screen and saw the words, 'MELTDOWN AVERTED, SYSTEM POWERING DOWN TO AVIOD RADIATION LEAK, COOLING SYSTEMS ENGAGED'. John read and reread the words over six times so he was sure he read it correctly. "He did it, he stopped it". Everyone in the room gave cries of joy and began to clap, one of them kneeling down next to the solder and gave him a firm pat on the back. John held up his radio. "Perry, what's you status?". "Sir, I don't know why, but the machines are leaving. They just stopped fighting and left, all of them are gone, we've won!".

"Good, we've also stopped the meltdown, move in and help secure the plant". "Yes sir, right away sir". With the power plant power red down, the alarms all turned off, allowing the sounds of cheers from the solders outside to be heard. The battle of Avila Beach was over, and the Resistance had won it, their first major victory. Perry got back on the radio again, "Sir, I'd just like to say, you've done one hell of a job, you saved us all again, thank you!". John couldn't help but grin, as did Cameron from his side. "Thanks, and Perry, good job, really good job".

That night, their was a huge celebration in the power plant and the surrounding area. With Skynet's machines moving in the opposite direction, they could celebrate their victory, which the men and women of the resistance did. They lit bonfires and danced and drank, just enjoying themselves, something a lot of them hadn't been able to do in a long time, some of them not since before Judgment day. Though they had won the battle, neither John nor Cameron felt like celebrating. Everyone congratulated them on their success. Neither John nor Cameron could forget those who had died in the battle, over five hundred were dead, and many more were wounded. Though five hundred seemed like a small number, it wasn't to John. Since Judgement day, John felt the guilt of not being able to stop Judgement day and save the three billion who lost their lives, and now he had the guilt of five hundred more on his concisions. Cameron herself, was feeling guilt, not just for those who had died, but because she hadn't told John yet about being pregnant with his child.

As she walked through the power plant, she raised her hands to rub her eyes. She felt exhausted, her muscles ached and she wanted nothing more then to find somewhere quiet to sleep, but with the celebrations going on around her, that was almost impossible. Before finding somewhere to rest, she wanted to find John and tell him the good news and so walked around, asking others if they had seem him. None of them did, and none of them seemed in any fit state to know, being drunk with victory. So she just kept walking, becoming more desperate to find him and tell him. As she walked, she could feel sweat on her face and a small pain in her stomach, which didn't bother her at first, but the pain slowly increased in intensity, until she was having trouble walking. Cameron eventually spotted John outside one of the aid stations that had been set up in the power plant for the wounded. He spotted her and began walking towards her, but as he did, Cameron felt a huge surge of pain in her stomach. Her hands darted for her belly and she fell forwards, screaming out in pain. "CAMERON!". John ran over and knelt beside her. "What's wrong?, Cameron, what's wrong?". Cameron felt another surge of pain an cried out again, unable to speak due to it. John didn't know what to do, so he cried out, "HELP!, SOMEONE, HELP ME!". Within seconds, footsteps were heard in all directions and solders appeared, all thinking John was under attack, though upon seeing John and Cameron, they all stood down instantly. Cameron lost all focus and fell back in to John's arms. John scooped her up in his arms and noticed blood on her trousers.

"SOMEONE, GET HELP!, GET A DOCTOR, NOW!". Three of the solders watching immediately ran in to the aid station to get help. "Cameron, stay awake, just keep your eyes open, please". John didn't understand what was wrong, she looked fine earlier, now she looked like she was dying in his arms. The three solders returned seconds later, with both Lauren and Sidney fields. They both ran over and knelt down next t her. "What happened?". John shook her head, tears falling from his eyes. "I don't know, she just collapsed, she was holding her stomach". Lauren and Sidney both gave each other a glance before Sidney moved her hands to her belly, feeling around. "We need to get her to the aid station now, if we don't hurry, she could miscarry". John instantly froze in shock, rehearing those words in his head. The solders around them all went silent , the women clapping her hands over their mouths. "Miscarry?, what do you mean miscarry?".

Lauren turned her head to John, shaking her head. "She's pregnant, she was going to tell you after the battle was over". John looked down at Cameron, shock and disbelief. "Pregnant?, you should have told me Cameron, you should have told me". Lauren stood up and pointed at two of the solders watching them. You two, carry her and follow me". She next turned to John. "John, if we don't get her to the aid station, she will loose the baby and she might die herself, so move out of the way, now". John instantly moved out of the way and watched as Cameron was picked up and carried after Lauren and Sidney. John followed them, refusing to leave her, he wasn't going to let her die, her or their baby.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

_Cameron opened her eyes, finding that she wasn't where she expected herself to be. She expected to be lying in a bed in the aid station, after collapsing in front of John and bleeding badly, fearing for her baby's life. But she wasn't in the aid station, she was standing outside in the ruins of LA, holding a plasma rifle in her hands. She knew instantly she was dreaming, not just because she was standing outside and alone, but because she didn't feel any of the intense pain she felt in her belly, nor did she feel any blood flowing from her. Looking around, she couldn't tell where she was, or why she would be standing outside all alone. Priming her plasma rifle, Cameron began walking forwards, stepping over rubble and walked past burnt out cars, which contained the skeletal remains of their former drivers. Cameron felt sad and upset at seeing the skeletons in the cars and in particular, at seeing the remains of three children, one of them a baby, sitting in the back of their car, while their parents remains were in the two front seats. Cameron wondered where they were going that day when the bombs fell. Were they going for a family picnic, or to visit some family in another part of the city?. Cameron tried not to think on it, as it brought her more sadness to know that they didn't reach their destination. They all died, an entire family gone in an instant. Cameron moved on from the cars and left them behind her. As she walked, she heard the distant rumbling of HK tanks in the distance. _

_Looking up, she could see HK aerials, flying high above the city, not paying much attention to the ground below. A sound of movement ahead of her brought Cameron's gaze away from the aerials above her. It sounded like someone was dragging their feet along the ground, but Cameron couldn't see anyone ahead of her. Cameron then heard the sounds of a second pair of feet, dragging along the ground behind her. Turing in the spot, Cameron looked around widely but again could see anyone. "Hello?". Cameron barley spoke in more then a whisper. But as she did, the sound began to get louder as it came closer to her. Cameron raised her rifle and aimed at where the sound was coming from. Through the rubble ahead of her, a figure emerged from the darkness. Cameron lowered her rifle slightly to get a better look, but didn't let her guard down. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, making her body shake with fear. She didn't know why, but every instinct in her told her to be afraid of what was approaching her. The figure moved slowly in to the clearing and stopped, looking around. The figure was wearing what looked like an old black trench coat, and was using cloth to cover most of their face. Cameron could tell it was a young woman, as her blond hair hung down past her shoulders._

_"Hello?". The woman turned to Cameron and took a quick step forward, making Cameron step back in fear. ""Who are you?, are you okay?". Cameron didn't really want to know, she wanted to get away from here and run as far as she could go. The woman took smaller steps forwards, moving her head from side to side as she took each step. Cameron looked down at the woman's feet and felt sick at the sight of them. She was barefooted and her skin looked like it had rotted. The bones were exposed in some places but it didn't seem to cause the woman any discomfort as she walked. "Don't you recognise me?". Cameron gasped loudly at hearing the woman's voice, it sounded old and it was as if she had something stuck in her throat. "No, who are you?". The woman took some more steps forwards, shaking her head. "That's a shame, because I recognise you, mom". Cameron's eyes widened in horror as the woman took another step forwards, close enough for Cameron to see her eyes. They were blue, Allison's blue eyes. "Allison?, what happened to you". _

_Cameron dropped her rifle and walked towards her, but Allison backed away quickly. "Allison, it's me, it's Cameron, I'm your mom, please". Allison seemed to consider her words carefully before stepping forwards again, her feet making strange sounds with every footstep. Cameron raised her trembling hands and began to peel the cloth away from her face, which seemed to be stuck to her skin. Cameron peeled away a large chunk of the cloth and Gasped in horror, dropping the cloth and clapping her hands over her mouth. "Allison, what happened to you?". Allison didn't look like she used to. Instead of the fourteen year old teenager, Cameron was looking at an Allison in her late twenties. All of her beauty was long gone, her skin having lost all its colour. Her skin was covered in scars and scabs, which were all infected. It was as if her face was rotting like her feet had rotted away. The only thing she recognised about her was her blue eyes. "You did this to me, to all of us, its your fault". Cameron took a step back in fear and horror. She had never expected to see Allison like this, it terrified her. _

_"What do you mean?, I would never hurt you, you my daughter, I love you". Allison moved forwards angrily, dragging her feet along the ground. "What chance did you think dad had without you. You died, you and the baby. He couldn't cope, with out you, he didn't see the point of living anymore, didn't see the point in anything. He let himself die, starved himself to death to be with you again. With out him, we lost the war, and everyone died. I've been alone for years, and its your fault. You started all of this. Cameron couldn't help but cry in hatred of herself, for she was the reason for what Allison had become. "I'm sorry, it wasn't my fault, I love you Allison.". Allison screamed and charged at Cameron, throwing her off her feet and on to the ground. "ALLISON, STOP, PLEASE STOP!". Allison began hitting her across the face, screaming at the top of her voice, "I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!". _

_Cameron tried pushing Allison off her but in her anger, Allison was in a frenzy. "Its all your fault, I lost everything!, My dad died because of you, I HATE YOU!". Cameron threw her arms up and hit Allison in the face, forcing her off her. Cameron looked around and saw her plasma rifle and crawled towards it. "YOU BITCH, I'LL KILL YOU!". Allison jumped back on top of her, forcing Cameron's face in to the dirt. Allison grabbed Cameron's hair and pulled on it hard, causing Cameron to scream in pain. Cameron's head was pulled back exposing her neck. Allison suddenly pulled out a knife, and thrust it to her throat, stopping Cameron from struggling. "Allison stop, please stop, don't do it". Allison held the blade firmly in to Cameron's skin, cutting in to her flash and causing an angry indentation in her skin.. "It's you fault, I hate you". Cameron looked again at her plasma rifle, seeing it was just out of arm's length. "Allison, I love you, I'm never gonna stop loving you, you're my daughter". "I'M NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!, I HATE YOU!". Cameron raised her right hand and grabbed Allison's hair, and pulled hard on it. _

_With a hard yank, Cameron unintentionally pulled a clump of hair from Allison's head. Allison rolled off her screaming loudly. Cameron crawled forwards and grabbed her rifle, and turned herself and aimed at Allison. "Please stop, just calm down, please". Allison stopped rolling around and grabbed her knife again, and stood up to face Cameron. "Please stop, please!". Allison wasn't listening, she instead began swinging her knife through the air, in movements that would cut Cameron in places that would kill her. "What are you going to do, shoot me?, Go on then, There's no one left to stop you, kill me!, go on".". Cameron pressed her finger on the trigger, but she didn't fire. She watched as Allison made more movements with her knife. "No, I won't". Cameron moved her finger off the trigger and raising her rifle, she threw it towards Allison, and it landed at her feet . Allison stared at the rifle in awe and confusion before her gaze fell back on Cameron, her eyes alive with hate and rage. "I won't do it, I won't kill you. You're my daughter, you always will be, I love you no matter what, I can never hurt you". _

_Allison dropped her knife and picked up the plasma rifle and aimed it at Cameron, her fingers slowly working there way towards the trigger. Cameron stood up straight, and held out her arms to her side, offering her a clear shot. "If you hate me that much Allison, then do it. I won't stop you". Allison began taking steps forwards, dragging her feet across the ground. Allison didn't seem to be able to hold the weight of the rifle in her hands, which wasn't surprising as her hands were in such a bad state. With every step towards Cameron, the rifle's aim moved erratically. Eventually, Allison got close enough to press the rifle in to her chest. "Its all your fault, everyone died because of you". Allison fixed her finger on the trigger and pressed down on it, ready to fire it. Cameron looked one last time in to her blue eyes and saw nothing but hate and rage, before closing her own, and waited for her to kill her. But Allison didn't fire the rifle. _

_Cameron heard the sounds of the rifle being thrown away to her left and the sound of someone falling to the ground. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Allison on her knees, holding her head in her hand and crying loudly in to the ground. Cameron, with her own tears falling down her cheeks, moved forwards and fell to her knees before her. Raising her trembling hands, she slowly placed them on Allison's back. Allison shuddered and slowly moved herself up, to face Cameron. "You died, you left me and dad alone. You didn't see him, he couldn't think of anything else, he couldn't look at anyone without seeing your face, he loved you too much and it killed him". Cameron heard every word clearly, even through all of Allison's sobs. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I love you Allison, I love you". Cameron, with her hands on Allison's shoulders, pulled her towards her and hugged her. Allison at first, tried to pull away but as he seconds went on, she resisted less and less, before giving up altogether. Cameron held on to her tight, not able to believe that it could have come to this. Suddenly, Allison's cries stopped completely and she slowly pulled away from her. _

_The older Allison had vanished and was replaced by the fourteen year old Allison that Cameron knew. She was once again young and beautiful, her skin fresh and full of colour again. She smiled widely at Cameron as dozens of machines appeared around them. Cameron reached for her rifle on instinct but Allison stopped her, grabbing her arm and shaking her head. Allison didn't seem to mind that they were surrounded. As Cameron looked around at the machines, she didn't recognise any of them, as they looked far more advanced and intimidating then what she was used to. Allison stood up and looked down on a confused Cameron. "You pass the test". The machines around them turned and walked away, disappearing as the world around them began to fade. Cameron stood up and watched as Allison backed away in to the emerging darkness. "What do you mean?, I passed what test?". Allison didn't respond and only gave another smile before also disappearing in to the darkness. Cameron closed her eyes as the darkness began to close in on her and she to was engulfed by it._

John sat by Cameron's bedside, not daring to close his eyes. For hours now, he watched as Cameron lay on the bed, in a deep induced sleep. Next to the bed, Cameron's heartbeat was shown on the heart monitor machine. Her heart beat was weak but steady and John could see the same of the second heartbeat, again both weak but steady. John found himself looking from the machine and back to Cameron's belly repeatedly over the hours, not quite believing what he had heard and what he was seeing. Both he and Cameron thought she couldn't get pregnant and before he had been able to digest the fact that the impossible had become possible and the dream of him and Cameron becoming parents was a reality, here he was with that slim hope being torn away from him and the overwhelming feeling of uselessness was almost to hard to bare. fought hard to keep his devastation at bay, he knew he needed to remain strong and focused for Cameron, for her and the baby. All he could do was grasp her hand and hold it tight, and wait and pray she would be alright and wake up soon.

_Cameron open her eyes for a second time and looked around her surroundings. She was standing in the middle of what looked like a run down house, much like a house in a shanty town. The walls were made of a mixture of rotting wood and rocks, and the floor was covered in large leaves, acting as a carpet. Turing to see what was behind her, she saw what looked lie a bed, big enough for two people, made of wood and covered by a small blanket. Next to the bed, were two large backpacks, both black and both of them opened with clothes hanging out. Cameron recognised the bag closest to her as her own, the one she used to carry her belongings as she and John travelled south through Mexico and in to the Amazon Rainforest to hide from Skynet. Cameron released she was in her and John's house in the village they lived in for a time, the same village they got married in. _

_Bending down, she took her bag and pulled out its contents, finding most of her clothes that she had at the time. She found her old spare socks, underwear, t-shirts and jeans, a single pair of shorts and her two Glock 17 pistols, both of which were the only items in the bag she still had with her. Leaving her bag alone, she reached for John's bag and took out its contents, finding all of his spare clothes, as well as his own Glock 17 pistol, and a small box which contained what medical supplies they had left. Standing back up, Cameron looked down to see what she was wearing and gasped in delight as she was wearing her silk white wedding dress. Images flashed before her eyes of when she stepped in to the river and stood next to John and the look on his face when he saw her, Cameron felt herself get a little weak in the knees. Raising her hands, she ran her fingers through her hair, and saw flower petals fall through the air past her eyes, all white, red and blue. Looking towards the door, which was a simple large gap in the wall, she wondered if John was waiting for her in the river like before. Walking forwards, she stepped out in to the open air, a warm feeling coming over her as the heat from the sun hit her skin. Looking around her, she saw the village she and John once called home. _

_The layout was as Cameron remembered it, small huts in groups of three or four in circles, surrounding black marks on he ground of small camp fires burnt during the night to warm the camp. Through a gap in the trees, she could see the small farm that she used to work on sometimes. Though LA had always been her and John's home, this village was her home away from home, she felt safe and at peace here. Tearing her gaze away from the centre of the village, where the tribal chiefs hut stood, Cameron walked quickly towards the river, in the exact same direction she did the first time. As she walked passed the hut closest to the river, the bank of the river came in to view, but unlike the last time, there was nobody there waiting for her. Cameron slowly walked forwards in to the empty space, which was supposed to be full of people. Cameron quickly realised she didn't care in the slightest about the people being there, but she did care about John being there. Turning to look at the river, at the spot John was supposed to be, she saw an empty space, just the water flowing was there. _

_Cameron walked towards the spot and in to the river, ignoring the cold as the water flowed through her toes. Cameron turned and looked in all directions, thinking she would see John standing somewhere else, but she couldn't see him, she couldn't see him anywhere. Cameron felt betrayed and hurt, it felt like John had jilted her at the alter, and left her standing alone. But just as these thoughts of betrayal and hurt began to take hold, Cameron could hear a faint laugh in the distance, which steadily got louder as the seconds went by. Turning herself again, she looked towards the far bank of the river and saw a figure through the trees. Cameron fixed her eyes on the figure, curious on who he is, but as the figure stepped out from behind the trees and in to view, her gaze of curiosity changed to a gaze of hatred, as Derek Reese stood there. Derek just looked at her and continued to laugh. _

_"I was right!, I knew it!". Cameron had a strong urge to go over there and punch him hard but remembered she didn't have the strength she used to and probably wouldn't last long in a fight against Derek now that she was human. "Come on then, where is he?, where's John?". Cameron looked around at the village behind her and again, saw it was empty. "He's left you, left you all alone, he doesn't love you". Derek couldn't help but grin at the sight of Cameron standing alone in the river. "I knew it, I knew he'd come to his senses. You're a machine and you won't be anything more then that". Cameron shook her head as she hated Derek more and more. She didn't think it possible that she could hate someone as much as she hated Derek. But in that moment, Cameron thought of a way to get her own back. "Have you forgotten?, your dead, John killed you because you tried to kill me". _

_Derek's smile faded a little, but he was still amused by what he was seeing. "Yes, he did kill me, but just look around you. John, everyone who lived here, they don't care abut you, they never will care about you. They care for their own kind, for humans, you're just a machine". With that, Derek jumped down in to the river and marched towards Cameron. Reaching inside his coat, he pulled out a shotgun. "Go on, run!, I'm going to enjoy every second of this". Cameron didn't move, hating him more and more with every passing second. She was using all of her willpower to stop herself from lashing out. "Why don't' you get it in to your thick head. John loves me and I love him. You tried to break us up and it got you killed, so just give up and leave me alone". Derek's face changed from amusement to anger faster then Cameron could finish he final word._

_"John Connor doesn't love you, if he did, he'd be here with you, ready to make to biggest mistake of his life". Cameron couldn't help but think that he was right, because the fact was, John wasn't there, he wasn't anywhere. "No, John wouldn't leave me, he loves me". Derek's smile returned with a vengeance, making Cameron feel a little sick. "If he loved you, then why did he write this?". Derek reached in to his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to her. Cameron took it and held it up and she recognised John's handwriting._

_Cameron_

_I can't do this, I just can't. It was a mistake asking you to marry me and I'm sorry for giving you false hope but you're a machine after all. It doesn't matter to me what you feel because I need to be with someone who is human, who I can have a family with. I wish my future self had destroyed you and never sent you back for what you did. Killing Allison Young to get to me is something I can't forgive or forget. All these years we had together, they were wrong and I wished they never happened. __Don't try to find me, just stay away from me._

_John_

_Cameron finished reading and dropped the paper in to the water below. Her eyes followed the paper as it was taken away with the flow of the water, disappearing down the river. Cameron knew it couldn't be true what she had just read but there was no mistaking John's handwriting. Derek noticed the look on Cameron's face and began to laugh, as if he enjoyed seeing her suffer. "Stop it, leave me alone". Derek's laughing only got louder. "STOP IT!". Derek moved his face right in front of hers, still laughing loudly. Something in Cameron snapped. Her anger and hatred taking over, she brought her fist up and hit Derek in the jaw. Derek was thrown backwards in surprise at her attack. He raised his shotgun to fire but Cameron dived at him, throwing him back in to the water. Both she and Derek were temporary submerged beneath the water, but Cameron managed to get out first. _

_Standing on her own two feet, She moved towards Derek just as he was trying to stand up. He tried again to raise his shotgun but another punch to the side of the head made him drop it. Derek tried to defend himself with his own punch but Cameron ducked again before punching him again herself. Derek fell back and tried to remain above the water, flapping his arms and legs around wildly. Cameron stood over him and grabbed the front of his jacket, holding him up. With her right hand, she punched him again and again. With every punch, the skin on Cameron's hand began to bleed badly, as did Derek's face. "LEAVE ME ALONE!", and with one final punch, she let go of Derek. He spat blood from his mouth, and groaned in pain as the river began to take him away. Cameron watched as he grabbed the side of the bank and climbed up on to it, burying his face in to the ground. _

_Cameron tried to control her breathing and not think about the pain in her right hand. She didn't know what had come over her, she had never felt so hurt and angry in her life. She wanted nothing more but to go over to the embankment and finish him off. But something in the back of her mind was telling to stop, to walk away. Walking forwards towards Derek, the thought of killing him made her feel good. Stepping out of the water and on to the bank next to him, she saw a pistol in the back of Derek's jeans and pulled it out and priming it. Pushing Derek over to see his face, she stood over him and saw he was still smiling. "Go on, kill me. I know you want to. Go on, prove what you are, nothing but a machine that kills humans like cattle!". Cameron raised it and aimed for his head, right between the eyes. Derek stared down the barrel of his own pistol and gave a grin, like he was happy he was about to die. Cameron was close to smiling back and was ready to kill him, she wanted nothing more then to pull the trigger and wipe the smile off his face. _

_Pressing her finger on the trigger, she readied herself to kill him. But something in her convinced her that she didn't want to kill him, that killing him was something she shouldn't do. Taking a deep breath, she raised the pistol and fired, hitting the ground above Derek's head. The smile on Derek's face disappeared in an instant. "What are you doing you bitch, kill me!, go on, kill me!". Cameron slowly shook her head, and she felt sorry for him, sorry that John was forced to kill him all those years ago to save her. "I'm not going to kill you, it's not who I am, its not what I am anymore". For the first time, Derek looked confused. "What the hell are you talking about?, you're a machine, its what you were built for". Cameron again shook hr head and lowered her gun. And as she did, she noticed the brown string on her finger. She slowly raised her hand so Derek could see. "Me and John did get married here, it was the happiest day of my life. My name is Cameron Connor, and it always will be. That makes you my uncle in law. I have an adopted daughter called Allison and I'm pregnant with John's baby. __I have a family and you, whether you like it or not, are part of that family, dead or alive". Cameron raised the gun again and dropped in on to Derek's chest, who just stared at her with shock, anger and disappointment. Cameron turned and walked away. "Where are you going? ,KILL ME YOU METAL BITCH, KILL ME!". _

_Cameron heard Derek getting up and turned around, seeing he was aiming his pistol at her. Three shots were fired and Derek fell back, three bullet wounds in his chest . He fell to the ground with a grunt and his pistol fell in to the river. Cameron turned on the spot and saw Sarah standing in the centre of the village, aiming her own pistol at Derek. Cameron watched as Sarah lowered her gun and waked over to her, smiling the entire way. Cameron smiled back , grateful Sarah had saved her and generally happy to see her again. "You pass the test". Cameron tilted her head to the side as it was the second time she had been told that. "What test?". Sarah simply smiled and in the blink of an eye, she had disappeared, as had the entire village and all their surroundings. _

John stood with his back against the wall, looking over to the bed Cameron was lying on. Both Lauren and Sidney were again checking her, trying to determine if her condition had improved at all. After numerous checks, Lauren sighed and walked over to John, shaking her head. "There's no change. Whatever she's dreaming, its keeping her asleep. I don't know when she'll wake up and for now, its best we keep her that way. There's still a chance she could miscarry". John sighed to himself, raising his hands to rub his eyes. "Do you know what caused this?". Lauren turned to look back at the table, watching for a few seconds as Sidney pressed her hands across Cameron's stomach before turning back to John. "I'm no expert on pregnancy but Sidney says that a lot of stress can cause a miscarriage. With keeping her being pregnant from you until after the battle and the whole battle itself would have been stressful enough, and….". Lauren stopped and looked to the floor. John knew she was about to say something that he wouldn't like. "And what Lauren?".

Lauren looked up again. "Cameron suffered a blunt trauma to her lower back. It's as if she was attacked from behind or she was thrown to the floor hard". John closed his eyes and shoo his head. Turning on the spot, he clenched his hand in to a fist and punched the wall. He felt his skin tare and blood began to flow. "It's my fault, I did this to her". "What do you mean?". John turned back to Lauren, not bothering to even cares his not bruised and bloody hand. "She was running, the drone came from behind her and fired its missiles at her. I pushed her down, out of the way. The missiles missed her". John felt a tear fall down his face. John felt a surge of hatred surge through him, a hatred not directed at anyone else, but to himself. The thought that he put Cameron here and he could have killed their baby, mad him feel sick. "John, it wasn't your fault. If you hadn't have done it, both she and the baby would have died. You'd have lost both of them". John shook his head at himself as the thought of loosing Cameron again became almost unbearable. "I need her to be okay, both her and the baby, please Lauren. I'll never forgive myself if something I did could have killed her". Lauren raised her hand and placed it on John's shoulder.

"Me and Sidney are doing all we can for her. You haven't slept in two days John, so go and get some". John again shook his head. "No, I'm not laving her, I need to be here". It was Lauren's turn to shake her head. "No, your going to do what I say. Your going to leave this room. Allison's going to arrive in about ten minutes with the convoy, so go and meet her. Your going to tell her everything's alright and your then going to get some sleep. I don't want to see either of you here until you do all that and in that order". John thought it strange he was being given an order from her but as she spoke, he knew she was right. "Is this the doctor's orders?". Lauren nodded her head, making John give a small smile, the first one he had since Cameron collapsed. "My mom hated doctors all her life and now I know why". Lauren gave a laugh before turning and going back to Sidney and Cameron. Against his desire to stay by Cameron's side. John turned and opened the door. With one look back at Cameron, he was sure he saw her eyes open for a split second but as he looked closer, he saw her eyes were still closed.

_Cameron opened her eyes for third time and this time, instantly knew where she was. She was back in the camp, standing in the middle of the lab where Lauren and Allison operated on her to make her human. What Cameron first noticed was that the room looked like it hadn't been used in a long time. There was a thick layer of dust on very surface and every lab table, which should be have a dozen growth capsules with organs being grown in them, stood empty, as if they had never been used. Looking for the door proved to be a challenge in itself, as the walls were so covered in dirt, she couldn't see the door from the wall. Cameron moved towards the wall she knew the door was located and walked slowly along, knocking her hand softly against it. After hitting concrete over ten times, she finally hit steel. Raising her hands, she moved the cobwebs and thick layers of dust out of her way and reached for the handle, opening the door with a loud creak. Stepping in to the corridor, she was immediately confronted by two solders, who upon seeing her, primed their plasma rifles and aimed at her. "Stay back, Don't move!". _

_Cameron froze, her eyes fixed on the rifles in their hands. Cameron didn't dare say anything, as the solders both looked like they would shoot her if she moved an inch. Their hands were shaking in fear so mush, their rifles rattled in their hands. One of the solders eventually lowered their rifle and turned his head to the other. "Come on, lets get out of here, just leave her". The other solder didn't need telling twice and with another look of fear towards Cameron, he turned and ran, quickly followed by the other down the corridor and out of sight. Cameron shook her head in surprise, and wondered why the two solders acted the way they did. Why were they afraid of her?, she wasn't exactly a threat to them, one shot form their rifles would be enough to kill her. Looking down the corridor to where the solders had ran to, she began to walk in that direction, wondering that the reason they acted the way they did is because they found out she was, or used to be a machine. As Cameron walked, she headed towards her and John's home, hoping to find him and find out what was wrong. _

_Turing on to the long corridor in which her and John's room was located, Cameron again froze in her tracks, at seeing the corridor was full of people. At first, none of them noticed she was there, but as the first of them saw her, they fell silent. The silence spread like a plague from person to person, along the corridor until everyone had succumbed to it. As Cameron looked at those staring at her, she felt more out of place then she ever had done, even more so when she first went to school with John and tried and failed to fit in with ease. As the people blocked her way to her and John's home, she had no choice but to walk towards them. Taking her first steps, the people slowly moved themselves to the sides of the corridor, giving her a clear path to her home. As she moved past the people, Cameron turned her head to her left and to her right, looking at the people she past. Every one she looked at turned away from he in fear and disgust. Cameron was hurt that some of those that turned away from her were people she was friendly with and saved some of them from the machines in the past. The children in the corridor hide behind the legs of their parents or behind the closest person to them, turning away in fear. As she neared the door to her home, she saw Lauren leaning against the opened door, blocking Cameron's way. "Lauren, what's going on?". Lauren's eyes darted from the floor to Cameron and she looked disgusted by Cameron's very presence. _

_"Everyone knows now, what you really are. And that thing in there, how could you have done it, for nine months!". Lauren nodded her head in to the room and backed away, giving Cameron enough room to go inside. Cameron opened her mouth to speak but Lauren shot her an angry look. "Don't you dare talk to me!, just get out of my sight!". This was not how Cameron remembered Lauren. She had always been kind with her, and Cameron considered her to be a close friend , but this Lauren didn't even want to look at her, let alone be her friend. Cameron stepped in to the room and saw Allison standing outside of her and John's room. She looked equally as angry as Liz did. Before taking another step, Cameron could hear a faint crying sound coming from her and John's room, the crying sound of a baby. Cameron look a step towards the door, but was stopped by Allison. "You carried that thing for nine months, how could you have not known?". _

_Cameron tilted her head to the side. "Not known what Allison?". Allison shook her head in disgust. "Nine months you carried that thing, and your telling me you didn't know. I don't believe you". Cameron felt a little hurt and angry as Allison was calling her baby a thing. "Why are you saying that, that's your brother or sister in there". Allison looked up at her in fury before stepping aside and allowing Cameron to go in. "That thing will never be my family, never!, I'd rather be dead". Allison then walked passed Cameron and stood next to Lauren, both of them staring at her with anger. Cameron, with her trembling hand, reached out and opened the door. Pushing it open, she stepped inside. The first thing Cameron saw was a small bundle of blankets on the end of the bed. The blanket's moved slowly as her baby cried and waved its arms and legs. Cameron took a step towards the bed and heard the door behind her slam shut. Turning around, she finally saw John. "John, what's going on?". Cameron quickly realised that John was angry, more angry then she could remember. His face was red with rage and his body shook with fury. "Go on, look at what you've been carrying all this time, go on!". Cameron was now scared. The way everyone was acting, the way they spoke to her and the look on John's face, all pointed towards that what was in those blankets, wasn't supposed to be there. Cameron turned and walked over to the bed, nerves surging though her. _

_After what she had seen so far, a future version of Allison who wanted to kill her and seeing Derek again who wanted her to kill him, she didn't know if she wanted to see what was in the blankets. The sounds of the baby got louder as Cameron neared the bed, and with her trembling hands, she reached for the blanket that was covering the baby and moved it out of the way. What Cameron saw nearly gave her a heart attack, making her back away quickly with a scream and hitting the wall behind her. The baby wasn't a baby at all, or at least not a human one. It was a machine. Its shape was that of a baby, only a few days old, but everything about it was metal, its arms, legs, torso, everything. Even its eyes weren't human, they were a mechanical red, the same red glow most of the machines shared. John stepped forwards from the side of the room and stood over the baby, taking a pistol out form no where and holding it in both hands. "We're at war Cameron, and the machines are our enemy, every single one of them, including this one". Cameron could only see the swinging mechanical arms from behind John from where she was standing. John turned and held out the pistol to Cameron. "Here, take it". Cameron slowly reached out and took the pistol. _

_John then stepped out of the way giving Cameron a clear view of the bed and the baby. "Kill it!". Cameron turned her head to John, in complete shock. "What?". John shook his head, as if disappointed that Cameron hadn't done what he said to second he gave the order. "It's not hard Cameron. Everyone now knows about you, about your chip. They are willing to let you stay, to still be one of us, only if you kill this machine". Cameron didn't raise her hand or do anything else, she couldn't believe what John was asking her to do. If that machine on the bed was her baby, then she wasn't going to kill it, she couldn't. "John, you know I won't do it, why are you doing this?". John again shook his head, becoming more and more disappointed the longer Cameron didn't raise her pistol. "I'm asking you to do it because if you don't, you will be killed. I can't stop them from killing you because of your chip. You need to think of me and Allison, she'll loose her mother and I'll loose my wife". _

_Cameron knew this wasn't her John, it couldn't be. He was asking her to kill her and his baby, something she knew her John wouldn't do. "You can't ask me to do this, that's my baby, yours and mine". "NO!, that's no child of mine, kill it or I'll do it for you". Cameron again shook her head. "No, I can't". John's face went even redder. With out a word, John took the gun from Cameron's trembling hands and primed it, turning on the spot and aimed for the baby. Cameron threw herself in front of John, blocking his view of the baby. "John, stop!, I can't let you do this". "Why not, it's a machine, nothing more". Cameron shook her head and raised her hand, placing it on top of the gun in John's hand and pushing it down slightly. "That's what Derek said about me years ago. He said I was a machine, with out a soul, and I wouldn't be anything more then that. But you defended me, always looked out for me. We fell in love, we got married, we have a beautiful daughter. I don't care what my baby is, human or machine, its my baby and I'm not letting you or anybody hurt my baby". _

_For a second, Cameron felt a surge of fear as it looked like John was about to shoot her, but he slowly lowered his gun and the anger and rage completely disappeared from his face. "You pass the test". Before Cameron could even think about what John had said, a gust of wind surged through the room, causing Cameron to close her eyes. When she opened them again, John was gone and so was the room and the camp. She was somewhere else now, somewhere different. _

It was a cold night, and the cold rain wasn't helping anyone keep warm. John stood by the entrance of the power plant, waiting for the convoy to arrive. His thoughts firmly on Cameron and their baby, he had to try hard to resist the urge to rub back to her. But every time he was close to turning around, he forced himself to remember that Allison was arriving on the convoy and she was just as important to him as Cameron was. As he waited, John took a moment to look at the others waiting for the convoy to arrive with him. Most were solders, wearing their normal clothes, and like John, were just waiting for their families to arrive. The others were solders also, but their were on guard duty, guarding the entrance. Four of the solders however, were guarding John. He didn't even ask for them when walking from the aide station to the entrance, they just turned up and took positions behind John, keeping a watch not just for machines, but also the people with John. Anyone and everyone was a threat to John Connor, and they were determined to keep him alive, no matter to cost.

Slowly, a rumbling sound could be heard as the convoy approached. In the distance, the lights of the convoy's many vehicles began to shine brighter as they got closer. The convoy which was made up of trucks with plasma machine guns on the backs and trucks which carried the people, were covered in plasma burns. The convoy had obviously been attacked on its way to the power plant. The moment the convoy stopped, people scrambled out from the back of the trucks, some holding up others who couldn't stand themselves. John took out his radio. "Medical teams to the entrance, the convoy's been hit!". Not bothering to listen to the reply, he put his radio back and moved forwards to help. He found Allison in the first truck, a large cut on her right cheek. She didn't seem to be bothered with the cut, but she was angry in general.

"A simple trip she says, We won't get attacked she says, what a load of bullshit!. We didn't get five minutes out of the camp before the machines ambushed us. I nearly got killed by this wired silver metal thing, it only managed to cut my face". John held out his hand and helped Allison down from the truck. "You alright?". Allison breathed in deeply and nodded her head, the cold air and rain seemly cooling her down. John brought her in to a hug and looked in to the truck, seeing that four bodies were still inside. "John!". John let go of Allison and turned to see Liz, who like Allison, had a cut on her face, but she was also caressing her right arm, which looked like it was broken. "It's looks worse then it is". John didn't believe her as she winched in pain at the slightest movement. "Come on, both of you, inside now". John moved to Liz's side and took her left arm, helping her inside. Allison followed them, looking around with fascination at the power plant as she had never seen one before. John found a free medic and stood by Liz's side as the medic checked her face and arm.

"We were only on the move five minutes. The machine's knew we were moving. They were acting strange, like they were looking for someone specific. They must have been trying to get Allison or something. They didn't know which truck she was in. We lost Seventeen dead, twenty two wounded". John looked around and saw Allison winching in pain as a medic stitched the cut on her face. John knew it would leave a small scar, but other then her hair, Allison never really cared about her appearance. The only thing she purposely covered was her Skynet work camp tattoo, which she covered with a wrist sweatband. John heard the medic mention that Liz needed to be taken to the aide station for her arm before leaving to help some of the other wounded. "I almost forgot, What's happening with Cameron, is she okay?, and the baby?". John's felt his face drop in to one of sadness. "Lauren says there's no change. We don't know what's going to happen yet". Liz gave a smile before nodding her head towards the inside of the plant.

"Go on, you and Allison go. Cameron needs both of you, now more then ever, especially with the baby. I'll get my brother to help me to the aide station, he should be around here somewhere, I haven't seen him in months anyways". John gave a smile of thanks before turning to Allison, who had finished getting her cut stitched up. "Is mom okay?, How can she be pregnant?, is the baby okay?". John didn't know the answer to any of her questions as they quickly walked in to the plant towards the aide station. Arriving minutes later, Allison immediately ran to Cameron's bedside and being one of two people who helped Cameron become human, began bombarding Sidney with questions about Cameron. Lauren turned and walked to John, shaking her head. "She's having one hell of a nightmare, it's putting her in a lot of stress. There's still a chance she could loose the baby, it depends if she wakes up soon or not".

John nodded, not liking a single word she said. He knew Cameron suffered like he did when she had nightmares. On more then one occasion, she had woken up, screaming at the top of her voice in fear before John had been able to calm her down again to get back to sleep. "Sidney's going to stay here for a while, watch over her, but I've got to go and see to the wounded. I heard the convoy was attacked on its way here. John nodded and Lauren quickly left to help the wounded. John took his seat next to the bed and again took Cameron's hand. He slowly stocked the side of her hand with his thumb. For the second time, he was sure he saw her eyes flicker open out of the corner of his eye, but once again, when he looked, her eyes remained closed.

_Cameron knew she was still dreaming, she could feel it in her gut. She didn't even bother opening her eyes this time, and instead fell to her knees, not daring to move but waiting for the next ordeal. She could feel the breeze of a soft wind on her face and she could here the laughter of children nearby. Suddenly, the soft breeze of the wind ceased to blow on Cameron's face as someone stopped in front of her. "What are you sitting down there for?". Cameron's eyes shot open and she looked up, recognising the person's voice. Cameron blinked repeatedly at the amused face of Sarah. With a smile, Sarah held out her hand. "Come on, we need to talk". Cameron didn't move, barely believing that she was not going to be faced with another traumatic experience, she kept her hands firmly on her lap. "If this is another test or something else….". "Don't worry, its not!". _

_Cameron found it hard to believe her, as she knew she was still dreaming. "I'll prove it to you Cameron, I promise, I'll explain everything, just come with me". Slowly, she raised her hand and took Sarah's and was pulled to her feet. Looking more closely at Sarah ,Cameron realised how good she looked, healthy and full of life, a lot different from when Cameron last saw her, dying in front of her eyes. Cameron looked around and recognised where she was. She and Sarah were standing just outside the playground where Sarah brought a baby John years before. Cameron had also been here before, in another dream. "Why are we here?". Sarah shrugged her shoulders and began to walk slowly towards the play ground. "This is your dream, not mine, I'm here because you need me here, to explain things.". Cameron moved quickly to Sarah's side before continuing on. "Explain things?, do you mean those tests, what were they?". They turned through an opening in the fence around the play ground. "Those tests were your way of seeing if you were ready". Cameron looked at her with confusion, not knowing how all of what she had been through could have been to see if she was ready for anything. "Ready for what?". "Ready to be a mother". Sarah sat down on one of the park benches and sat back, enjoying the sun on her face. "I don't understand". Sarah raised her hand and indicated to Cameron to sit down. Cameron slowly did, and felt strangely at ease. _

_"I don't understand, To be a mother. I already am, I have Allison". Sarah gave a nod and smiled widely. "Yes, and your doing one hell of a job at it. Allison couldn't have anyone better then you and John to look after her. But ever since you first saw Allison asleep in her bed, You've had this little voice in the back of your head, telling you that you can't look after her and you could never be a good mother to her because of what you used to be, haven't you?. Cameron lowered her head, nodding softly. "I had the same thing with John. When I was pregnant with him I was terrified, I didn't know if I could do it. I never thought about having children before. I was just a waitress, working through the week so I could go out and party at the weekends. That was all I cared about. But then the machine came and so did Kyle. After that, I knew what John was going to do when he was older, who he was to become. I didn't know if I could do it, love him, raise him, train him. I didn't know what to do or how to do it. But I did it for him, I passed my own tests and you know the rest. You know how John turned out, you married him after all". Cameron expected Sarah to be angry and disappointed by her and John being married, but Sarah showed no anger, but she did look a little disappointed. _

_"I wish I could have been there, to see how beautiful you looked in your dress and how handsome John looked in a suit. I wish I could have seen you two together, saying your ' I do's' and the kiss afterwards. I'm sorry I wasn't there". Cameron quickly raised to hand to Sarah's shoulder. "Don't be sorry, We both miss you. John doesn't like to admit it, but he still cries sometimes". Sarah gave a small smile, taking Cameron's hand from her shoulder and holding it. "My tests were about me being unsure about being a good mom to John. Yours were about you yourself being a mom to your baby". Cameron sighed, still not really understanding. "Your first test. Allison was older, in the future and everyone was dead, you and John were gone, she was alone for years, she blamed you for everything that happened. You refused to kill her when she was going to kill you and you convinced her to forgive you. That was your first test, to make her forgive you despite her hatred of you". Sarah finished and took to watching her younger self play with a baby John. Cameron followed her gaze and smiled at seeing the baby John, running around in circles around his mother. "Your second test. Your saw Derek. He never accepted you, always put you down and tried to kill you more then once. You hated him more then anyone else but when you had the gun to his head, you didn't kill him. You wanted to but you didn't. You accepted that because you are married to John, it didn't matter how much you hated him, he was still your family, your uncle in law. Because you didn't kill him, you passed the second test". _

_Cameron watched as the baby John fell over, and had to stop herself from going over to help. Both she and Sarah watched as her younger self picked up baby John and held him as he cried. "What about the last test?". Sarah turned to look at Cameron, looking surprised. "I thought even you could figure out that one. You accepted your baby, despite it being a machine. You didn't care what the baby was because it was yours and you protected it". Sarah smiled again and stood up, and began walking out of the play ground. Cameron again followed. They walked in silence back towards the spot Sarah found her. Sarah kept looking back towards her younger self, smiling every time she did. Once they reached the spot, Sarah turned to face Cameron. "It's time for you to wake up". Cameron felt more relieved then ever by this point, she wanted nothing more then to see John and Allison again and to see if her baby was okay. "How do I wake up, I've wanted to wake up since all this started?". Sarah just smiled. "Waking up is just as easy as falling asleep. That voice in the back of your mind, you won't hear it anymore, you'll make a great mother, a better one then I ever was". Cameron felt herself becoming drowsy and she fell back. The world around her seemed to slow down as she fell. Landing softly on her back, Cameron felt something on her left hand, as if someone was holding it, but when she looked at it, nothing was there. _

John had his head resting on the bed next to Cameron, his hand holding hers softly before his eyes. Despite trying, he couldn't sleep. He felt more useless then he ever did. He didn't have any idea on how to help Cameron wake up. The image of Cameron's face when she saw her own blood on her trousers, the look of horror and heartbreak on her face kept surging through his mind. He could feel his own heart on the verge of breaking, as the thought of loosing Cameron was hard to bare, but loosing her and their unborn baby would be enough to tip any man over the edge, even the strongest man. Something was also niggling John about what had happened to the convoy that Allison had travelled with. Thoughts of machines trying to kill or capture Allison kept eating away at him. The machines were looking for someone on that convoy and it wasn't him or Cameron.

The only people on that convoy of importance were Liz and Allison. But something Allison had said, something about a 'wired silver metal thing', seemed familiar somehow, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She didn't say anything about a specific machine type, neither did Liz for that matter. John sighed to himself, to exhausted to concentrate and try to make any sense of anything. As John tried once again to put thoughts aside and tried to get some sleep, his eyes fell on his and Cameron's hands. As her stroked the side of her hand with his thumb and closed his eyes, he slowly realised that Cameron's thumb had begun to move in union with his.

Sitting up quickly, he gave a cry of relief as Cameron's eyes flickered open. Moving himself over her, he watched as Cameron eyes slowly gained focus, and as her gaze fell on John, the longer he stared at her with joy at her finally waking up, the more she smiled. "John, you can either stare at me, or you can kiss me, your choice". John didn't need to be told twice and so moved his head down and their lips met. Breaking the kiss, Cameron tried sitting up, but John pushed her back down. "Wait, don't move, not yet". John, stuck out his leg and gave Allison, who was asleep in the chair next to him, a firm kick. Allison moaned and groaned loudly. "Too early dad, five more minutes".

"Your moms awake". Allison got out of the chair quickly, not showily any sign of tiredness as she ran to the other side of the bed. "Cameron turned and raised her arms, bringing Allison in to a firm hug. John took out his radio, "Liz!, Liz, you still awake!". A few seconds past before she replied. "John, what's up?, its four in the morning". He could tell by the sound of her voice that she had been asleep. "Cameron's awake, get Lauren and her sister here now!". John dropped his radio on to the chair and watched as Cameron and Allison hugged. "Don't scare me like that mom, we thought you weren't going to wake up".

John could hear Cameron crying softly in Allison's arms. "I'm sorry, I love you so much, I promise, I'll never leave you again, I promise". Cameron was remembering her dream and had no intension of letting anything like that ever happen to her daughter. Letting go of Allison, Cameron let Allison stand up straight. Raising her hands slowly, she moved them to her belly, running her hands softly across her skin. "Is the baby okay?, please tell me its okay". John quickly looked to the heart monitor and was relieved to still see two heart beats. "I think its okay, just don't move until Lauren gets here". Before he even finished his next breath, the door burst open and Lauren ran in the room, dark marks beneath her eyes. Sidney came in behind her seconds later, in the same condition. John and Allison stepped back and allowed them to check her. "I'm glad your awake Cameron, but you could have done it when we were all awake!". John could see Cameron grin slightly from where he was standing. Eventually, Lauren stepped back, smiling widely.

"You are unbelievable, your going to be fine and I'm sure your baby's alright as well". Sidney gave a nod in agreement. "To be safe, you better stay in bed until I say so". Cameron and John both nodded at their words. Lauren and Sidney both moved to the nearby table, sorting through the medical equipment and discussing between themselves on what to do. John moved to Cameron's side again and once again, they grasped each others hand. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you John". "It doesn't matter anymore Cameron. I don't care that you didn't tell me. All I care about is that your okay. You and our baby". Forgetting about anything else, John and Cameron, with Allison at their side, could finally begin to come to terms with the fact that they were going to be parents, that the impossible had become possible. At that moment John felt something he hadn't felt in a long time, hope.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

John lay in bed, wide awake, unable to sleep no matter how hard he tired. For hours, he lay still, repeatedly closing his eyes in the vain hope that he would just pass out but his body just didn't want to sleep. Turning his head to the side, he once again gazed at the reason why he couldn't sleep. The side of the bed Cameron normally slept on was empty. He didn't have her arm across his chest or her head next to his. He couldn't feel the warmth of her body pressed against his or the sound of her breathing next to him. These he had gotten used to over the years, so used to in fact that he found it close to impossible to sleep without her there with him. But she wasn't there with him, she was still in the aide station, recovering from her near miscarriage. It had been two weeks since Cameron collapsed in front of him, two weeks since he was found out she was pregnant. Due to the possibility of Cameron suffering a miscarriage after her near one, she had been told by Lauren and Sidney that to be safe, she should remain in the aide station and in bed until she reaches her second trimester, which she had done six hours ago.

In the morning, Lauren and Sidney are going to check everything was alright with Cameron and the baby, allowing her to finally come home, which is something that they both wanted badly. Giving up, he sat up and reached for his clothes, frustrated by how tired he was and on how long he wasted trying to sleep. Pulling on his clothes and his jacket, he stood up and walked for the door. He must have made more noise then he intended, because his loud movements woke Allison, who was asleep in a sleeping bag on the couch by the door. "Dad, Where you going?, What's wrong?". She sat up quickly and looked around wildly, as if she was looking for any intruders to tackle, but she quickly calmed down again when seeing there was nothing out of the ordinary. "What you doing up dad?, its to early to be awake". Sighing, John thought he might as well stay until she went back to sleep again. Walking away from the door, he moved to the couch. Allison moved along slightly to allow him to sit down next to her. "Sorry, I just can't sleep". Allison groaned and let her head fall on to the couch again.

"You still can't sleep!. The sooner mom can come home the better, everyone can see your not sleeping". "What do you mean everyone can tell I'm not sleeping". Allison sat up again and rested her head against the back of the couch. "Have you looked in a mirror lately dad, you've got black rings under you eyes and you generally look like shit, no offence". John shook his head and smiled. "Thanks, glad to know my own daughter can tell me how bad I look in the mornings". Smiling, Allison fell back down on to the couch, laughing softly. "Your welcome, where are you going". "Just for a walk, I'll be back in a few hours". Allison gave another laugh. "A few hours?, must be one hell of a walk!". John stood up and allowed Allison to get comfortable again. Slowly and without a another word, Allison's bright blue eyes closed and she fell back in to a deep sleep. John again turned and headed for the door, this time, he opened it and stepped out without waking Allison.

John walked slowly down the corridor and he noticed how tired he was. Every step he took as he walked took more effort then it normally did, his feet felt like lead bricks. He knew that if he turned around and went back to bed, he wouldn't get anywhere so he kept going, walking through the mostly deserted corridors. The only signs of movement were from some spiders in their cobwebs on the walls and ceiling, rats scurrying looking for food in the shadows as John walked past. The only other movements were from the hundreds of solder's on duty in every corridor and in every room, guarding every entrance in to the power plant and making sure no one walked around unchecked, especially in the darkness of the night. John, as the leader of the Resistance, was able to pass every checkpoint without a fuss, only having to confirm his identity when his face was hidden by the dark. John eventually arrived at the roof top entrance and stepped out on to the roof. There were over thirty solders out o the roof, all holding long range plasma rifles.

The roof gave them an almost perfect view of the surroundings to the power plant, allowing them to pick off any machines that came with in their sights. They spotted the machines during to night using night vision goggles and were able to pick them off with one shot every time. When John stepped outside, a few of them turned their heads in John's direction and nodded their heads in acknowledgment, before resuming their watch for any machines. For the past two weeks, John had been coming to the roof every night to clear his head, so the solders had gotten used to his presence there. John leaned against the railings on the edge of the roof and just kept his eyes on the horizon. The sun would be coming up soon, and he has watched every sunrise for two weeks, each sunrise more beautiful and spectacular with every passing day. Other then the lights from a few HK aerials in the far distance, there was nothing to see except gaze at the ruined landscape in the darkness below. He thought of Cameron, and of their baby. He dreaded going to the aide station later to see if she could leave or not, as the thought of being with out her another night would drive him mad, he wanted her to come home, he needed her to come home. He needed to sleep!

The door back inside the power plant opened suddenly and Liz stepped out, yawning loudly. John watched as Liz stared at him, trying to figure out who he was before she finally realised it was him. Smiling, she walked over, her arms folded tightly to keep her self warm. "I'm guessing you can't sleep either". Liz shook her head and took her place next to him, also leaning against the railings, she yawned again and turned to John. "What's up with you then?". John gave a laugh, thinking of the best way to explain what was going through his head. "Nothing, I'm just having trouble sleeping at the minute. With everything's that's gone on lately, with Cameron, with the war, I just can't get it all out of my head, any of it". Liz gave a small smile before again turning her head back to face the landscape before them. "Cameron will be fine, she'll be out of the aide station today, you'll see. She's in her second trimester now, isn't she?". John gave a nod, one that Liz could see from the corner of her eye. "Then she will be fine, and so will the baby. Don't worry about it".

John shook his head this time, making Liz look at him in surprise. "I worry Liz, I worry about them every day. I love Cameron and Allison, those two and the baby are my world, they matter more to me then anything else. I'm afraid I won't be there to see my child open his or her eyes for the first time. I'm afraid I'll never see my child grow up. I'm afraid I'm going to loose Cameron again and I'm afraid I'm going to loose Allison. It's tearing me apart Liz, I can't cope with it for much longer". Liz looked stunned and didn't know what John was talking about. "John, what do you mean you afraid, Cameron will be okay, so will Allison and so will the baby, There's something your not telling me, what is it?". John sighed loudly and raised his hand to his painfully tired eyes, and rubbed them softly but he didn't answer Liz's question. "John, We've known each other for nearly eight years, I've followed you to hell and back and I'd gladly do it a hundred times over, now tell me what's going on".

John again sighed, he knew Liz would pester him until he told her, so he quickly decided to tell her the truth. "We're not winning this war Liz. We're outnumbered, outgunned and being overrun on every front. If we don't thin of something soon, we'll all be dead by the end of the month". This wasn't news to Liz, as she was more or less third In command of the resistance in all but name. "Yeah I know that, but I can tell you've got a plan, so what is it?". This was the part John dreaded telling her. He knew he could rely on Liz when ever he needed her, but he needed her support for what he wanted to do, what they needed to do. "Remember that machine that killed Allison's friend, Sean. Remember how I reprogrammed it?". Liz's face dropped like a bomb, and she looked at John with a mixture of surprise, disbelief and shock. "You can't be serious?, you can't even consider reprogramming some of them to fight for us". Any glimmer of hope that Liz might support him left John like a bullet. John turned his head away, trying to ignore the look on Liz's face. "You seemed more supportive when I reprogrammed the chip in the machine that Allison killed". Liz shook her head furiously. "Yes but you just can't. Yes, I'll admit that it sounds like a good idea on paper, but in reality, it's insane. We've been fighting these things for years, you can't just flick a switch and that's it. Who else knows about this?, Cameron?, Allison?".

Liz was talking so loud that she was close to shouting, and some of the solders nearby began to stare and listen in to their conversation. "Keep your voice down!, no one knows but me and you". Liz shook her again and sighed loudly, quickly calming down. They both turned and looked towards the sky, which had now begun to light up as the sun began to rise. They didn't say anything for another five minutes. John knew what needed to be done but he also knew the high risk of it all, he knew that machines could go back to the original settings and attack them just as quickly as John could reprogram them. He watched Liz out of the corner of his eye and could clearly see her having a furious debate with herself in her mind. Eventually, she opened her eyes again and turned to face John. "Are you sure, I mean, absolutely sure that there is no other option. If there is another option, I want to hear it now". John shook his head, and saw Liz's hope that there would be another option fade from her face. She slowly nodded her head before turning back to watch the sunrise. "If this is the only way, then I'm with you, I'm always with you, just promise me that when an alternative comes along, you'll stop reprogramming them".

John gave a small nod. "I don't want a nod John, when you make a promise, you say the words, say them". John turned himself completely to face her. "I promise, I don't like it as much as you do, but it's the only option we've got left. If we don't start reprogramming them, we will loose, we'll all loose". Liz reached out and took John's hand, holding it softly, before she turned her head to the sky, just as a small glimmer of light from the sun was able to break through a small gap in the endless wave of clouds above them. John looked to his watch, seeing it was now seven in the morning. He knew everyone, including Allison would be waking up right about now, and he knew she was going to see Cameron, just like he was. "I've got to go Liz, I'm meeting Allison and we're goanna see if Cameron can come home".

Liz hesitated before she let go of John's hand. "Your lucky John, you've got a wife, a beautiful daughter and you've got a baby on the way. You've got a family, don't let them go, never let them go". John had already started for the door back inside when she spoke, but stopped and turned around. "My family mean everything to me and I consider you part of that family, Allison's called you auntie Liz since she was seven after all". Liz gave a small smile. John took a step back towards her. "Have you never considered starting your own family, You talked about it a lot back in Century". Liz's face dropped again and she looked to the floor.

"I did think about it, but I need to find someone who will look after me and love me for who I am, the same way I love him, there's only one person who I know who I feel that way about". John gave a smile, already knowing who she was talking about. "Why don't you ask him out or something, talk to him". Liz sighed loudly and she then looked up. "I do talk to him. He's handsome, strong, and he would do anything for those he loves. But he's married and he is expecting to be a father soon. Go and see Cameron and Allison, please just go". John regretted asking her about starting her own family, as he knew she was referring to him. "Liz,…I…..". Liz shook her head and turned away from him. "Please John, just go, please just go before I say anything else I'm going to regret". John considered staying to comfort her but decided to honour her request and leave. He turned to the door and stepped back inside the power plant.

Cameron groaned loudly as the lights in the aide station turned on above her. Her groans were met by other groans as the other patients in the other beds were also awoken. Cameron slowly sat up on her bed, rubbing her eyes. With her blanket, she should have felt warm and comfortable, but she didn't, she instead felt the opposite, cold and uncomfortable. Without John beside her, she couldn't sleep as well as she used to, she didn't have him next to her for warmth and comfort during the night and it was annoying her greatly that she wasn't allowed to leave and go home until Lauren and Sidney told her she was safe to do so. Cameron never argued once to their demands, as it was in the her interest as well as her baby's that she take things easy until they can be sure that she and the baby had completely recovered from her near miscarriage. Cameron's bed was completely surrounded by a screen to stop the other patients staring at her, which they all did when they learnt who she was. Through the screen, Cameron could see the outline of two guards standing nearby for her protection. This always brought a small smile to her face as she remember that she used to do what they did to John before she was sent back.

She would stand guard, only moving her head from side to side and watch as people nervously walked past her and preventing anyone from getting close to John to protect him, even people he knew personally. Cameron stretched her arms and then looked down to her belly. She reached down and pulled up her t- shirt. She gave another smile as it was now clear to her that she was pregnant, as her belly was slightly rounder then it used to be, though not by much. Cameron raised her head at hearing footsteps and listened as they got louder as they neared her. She heard Lauren speak to one of the patients before the guards let her pass and she appeared from behind the screen. "Morning, feeling any better?". Cameron smiled and nodded, rubbing her eyes again. Over the last couple of days, Cameron's morning sickness had finally stopped, her headaches and dizziness had completely disappeared and her stomach cramps had ceased. Lauren moved to the side of the bed and held a small flash light to Cameron's eyes, looking closely. She gave a small but encouraging nod and then began setting up the scanning equipment. "Sidney's been called back to Eagle Rock bunker, two of the girls there are about to give birth. She's already said that she thinks you and the baby will be fine but I better do the check, just in case". Cameron gave a nod and leant back down, holding her t-shirt up.

"Where's John and Allison?, I thought they were coming to see you and take you home". They both looked around to see if they had turned up, but neither could see far through the screen. Since Allison was the one who discovered how to grow human body parts from scratch, she knew how to treat wounds of all kinds, so she worked as a medic under Lauren at the aide stations and so was able to visit Cameron on a daily basis. John on the other hand, was lucky to get five minutes alone with her as he was constantly called away due to the situation with the war against the machines. As this was her final check before she could leave, Cameron wished they were there with her now. "I don't know, they will be here, John's never let me down and neither has Allison, they will be here". Lauren finished setting up the scanner and moved herself so she could began scanning Cameron's belly.

"At least when you get out of here, you can eat some decent food, I know the food here tastes like cabbage". Cameron gave a laugh and nodded in agreement, before gasping as Lauren pressed the cold scanner to her skin. Turning her head to the side, she watched as an image of her baby slowly appeared on the screen. The sound of quick footsteps could be heard and Allison appeared seconds later, out of breath. "Sorry I'm late mom, I got caught up in the rush to get to the mess hall for breakfast". Cameron smirked as Allison tried to slow her breathing. "Where's John?, he should be here". Allison shook her head and held her hand to her chest. "I called him on the radio, he's on his way, he'll be here in a few minutes". Cameron nodded and all three of them turned their heads back to the screen. Lauren slowly moved the scanner across Cameron's skin, nodding her head every now and then. "Your just over fourteen weeks now, the baby's strong and healthy, very strong heartbeat, from what I can see, everything seems okay".

Cameron gave another smile but didn't pay much attention to what she was saying, once again loosing herself at the sight of her baby. As Lauren muttered to herself about the baby's health and development, Allison gave Cameron a firm nudge, getting her attention. "What do you want, a boy or a girl?". Cameron tilted her head, not having thought of this before. "I don't know, I already have you, a beautiful daughter!, so a boy I guess, I don't know, I don't care if it's a boy or a girl". Allison gave a smile just as John came rushing in from the other side of the screen. "Cameron, I'm sorry, the corridors are packed, we've really got to avoid the mess hall breakfast rush". Cameron held out her hand and pulled John in to kiss, one he returned eagerly. "Lauren removed the scanner from Cameron's belly and turned the machine off. "Okay, everything looks fine, so you can go home now". Cameron gave a cry of joy and sat up, pulling her t-shit back down to cover her belly. Lauren moved towards the screen and looked out before turning to look at the John.

"Alright, I've got to get back to work. Under no circumstances is Cameron to be put in a position where she or the baby are at risk. It's your job to protect her now, not the other way round". John gave a nod and helped Cameron to her feet, who looked more then ready to leave. "I mean it John, there is always a chance that Cameron could miscarry this baby if she is put under any undue stress. And another thing, you both ignored the three week sex ban after your operations, don't ignore this. You've both got a baby to think about now". Both Cameron and John's faces quickly turned a dark shade of red. Allison turned her head away and shook her head quickly, trying to forget what she had just heard. Lauren gave a amused smile and quickly left, heading to work to help the patients.

The Connors went to the mess hall and as always, they were the focus of the staring from the civilians and solders present. They finished quickly and headed for the new command room, while Allison went back to the aide station to help out Lauren. Opening the door in to the command room, John held it open for Cameron, who walked in with an amused smile. The room, which was full of activity as people worked on the many computers, went suddenly silent at seeing Cameron. For a second, they all stared in awe, as if surprised to still see her alive, before they quickly went back to work before John could say anything. Liz looked over from her work station and slowly walked over. "John, Perry wants to talk with you". Liz was making every attempt not to make eye contact with him. John guessed she was still embarrassed by what she had said on the roof earlier. She handed John her radio and quickly left back to her workstation. "What's wrong with Liz, I know the situation we're in isn't the best but she's usually a lot more cheerful then she is now". Cameron watched as Liz walked away from John and turned to see John's face. She looked back to Liz and then to John again, quickly figuring out what was wrong. "She loves you?".

John quickly turned his head to Cameron, hearing the defensive tone in her voice. "Yes, and I love her, like a sister, but I don't feel the same way for her as I do for you. Its you I married and you I love. I promise you". Cameron quickly nodded her head and sat down in the nearest chair, her eyes firmly fixed in her new rival. John held up Liz's radio. "Perry, it's Connor". "Connor, about time. I got some news from our bases near Portland. There's a rouge group of people, not part of the resistance near Oakland, hiding somewhere in the forest. They've been conducting raids on our bunkers there, stealing food and supplies and….. kidnapping people". John closed his eyes and shook his head. Fighting a losing battle against the machines was bad enough, but this, people attacking and kidnapping other people, made John feel more angry then he had done in a long time. "Who are they?, the people on the island". "From what the people in Portland are telling me, it's like a gang, just a gang of thugs but they do things, horrible things. The people were too afraid to tell me anything more, they were terrified".

John sat down next to Cameron, who tore her eyes away from Liz to listen in. He eyes sot open in surprise as she did and she took the radio from John. "Perry, its Cameron, the people near Oakland have there been any rumours about them raiding Skynet factories, taking weapons and equipment?". "Yes ma'am, I don't know if they are true or not, but its probably just the group spreading rumours to make themselves sound good". "Thanks Perry, we'll get back to you". Cameron turned the radio off and looked up to see John staring at her with confusion. "Errr, what was all that about?". "Before I was sent back, the first chips you programmed were not from captured machines. The chips were stolen from a Skynet factory before it started building machines. The group had a box of at least two hundred chips, none of them having been programmed before. The two hundred machines that you used those chips for, were the only ones that didn't have any chance of turning on us because their original settings were your settings, not Skynet's. If they have the chips, then we need to get them and use them to capture other machines so you can reprogram them". John hung on to her every word, seeing everything fall in to place before his eyes.

"Are you sure that I got the chips from these people?". "I wasn't there at the time, I came after all this happened, but this is the only chance we've got to saving us all". John nodded his head and stood up. "Liz, come over here". Liz got out of her chair and walked over, once again avoiding all eye contact with both John and Cameron. "Liz, I need you to find out everything you can about the people on Sauvie Island. Who leads them, who they've attacked, how many they've taken, what they have taken, everything about them". Liz nodded and quickly turned away. "Liz, your radio, you'll be needing it". Cameron held out her radio and John had a tense moment that as Liz reached out to take the radio, Cameron would attack her. John could see a angry and defensive look in Cameron's eyes, the same look he remembered seeing whenever Cameron would look at Riley and the same eyes that he saw back at the village when one of the women there took an interest in him. Liz took the radio and took a step back.

"Thanks Cameron, I'll get right on it John, I'll have the information as soon as possible. Liz again quickly walked away, holding her radio up and talking quickly. "I thought you were going to kill her or something". Cameron took John's hand in to her own and brought John's face to hers. "She's no threat to me, It might take more effort then it used to but I could still kill her easily. In any case, your mine, no one else's, you're my husband, my John Connor". John gave a smile before kissing her deeply, taking her breath away and nearly making her fall of her chair. "I'm your John. I love Liz as a sister, nothing more. I love you with all my heart. You, Allison and this baby mean more to me then anyone else in the world". Liz returned, looking annoyed and angry. "John, Ashworth's doing it again, he won't allow me to speck with anyone in , he won't accept my command code". General Ashworth, like Perry, was in hiding after Judgment day and joined John's resistance after he broke out of Century work camp, though he only did so as he would have lost his rank to his second in command if he did not.

"Again!, I'm getting sick of explaining this to him, you out rank him, put me through Ashworth now". Liz turned away and began talking quickly. Cameron looked at John with concern. "Ashworth controls every base in Oakland, be careful with what you say". John shook his head. "He's had more then enough chances". Liz returned and held out her radio. John took it and held it up. "Is this General Ashworth!". "Yes it is sir". John could tell by his tone that he was trying to make himself sound superior to him. "You have disobeyed a direct order from Elizabeth Anderson, explain yourself". "Sorry sir, but I don't accept a woman's authority over a mans, We've been through this before".

Everyone had gone silent in the command room, all staring at John and waited for his response. "Yes, we've been through this before, so listen to this. You are hereby relived of command and confined to quarters". Everyone in the room looked at John with horror and shock, as this had been the first time John had removed anyone from a command position. John waited for Ashworth's response. "You can't do this, I have the loyalty of everyone here in Oakland. You can't take command away from me here, you don't have the power to do it". John gave a smile as the sounds of weapons being primed were heard. "What are you doing, how dare you, you traitors!, I'll have you all shot". "Your not in command anymore, General Connor has given the order, step down now". There was a moment of silence before Ashworth spoke again. "You bastard. YOU BASTARD. I swear I'll kill you for this John Connor".

John could hear him swearing loudly at his men as he was forcefully taken from the command room in his bunker. John held up the radio again. "Who's second in command there?". The same voice of the man who ordered Ashworth to stand down came back through the radio. "I am sir, Captain Grey". John looked around the command room and everyone but Liz and Cameron immediately moved back to work. "Your now in command of our bases in Oakland. We need your help so can you speak with my lieutenant?". "Yes sir, and thank you sir, you don't know how much you've just helped us". John handed the radio back to Liz, who for a few seconds stared at him with great admiration before turning and getting back to work. Cameron reached out and turned John towards her, shaking her head and smiling at the same time. "I can't believe you just did that!". John looked to the floor, thinking hard and wondering whether he shouldn't have done what he had just done . "You don't think I should have done it?". "Are you mad?, you've got rid of that sexist idiot and about time too. Last time, he tried to take leadership from you, thinking he had more support then you. He tried to kill you, but he didn't know I was there at the time". John gave her another smile, glad to here that Cameron had saved him once again, though at a different time.

Over then next couple of days, John waited nervously for the information about the chips they needed. With every passing day, the situation deteriorated as the machines overrun Residence buckers and bases, killing everyone who fought back and captured those who didn't, taking them to the work camps. Eventually, just as John was giving up hope, Liz finally came forward with a smile on her face. "I got through to them John, they do have the chips, But…". John's heart dropped. "But what?, Liz". Liz frowned and sat down next to him, shaking her head. "They won't give us the chips for nothing, they want something in return. They also want you to be there personally to do the exchange". John held his hand to his head, and sat back in his chair. "What do they want me there for?". "You're John Connor. I only spoke with one of them and he was trying to make himself sound stronger and better then me. I'm guessing who ever their leader is only considers you worthy enough or something like that to meet with him". John looked at his watch and saw he should have been at home over an hour ago. Standing up, he slowly walked to the door, before turning around. "Bedell, I need Bedell, get him over here by tomorrow morning. We'll take the Jimmy Carter north and get the chips. It shouldn't take us more then three days".

Liz shook her head in disbelief. "They won't just hand to chips over and let you go again. These people are thieves, traitors and murderers. They have a reason for wanting you to go, what if it's a Skynet trap?". "That's why I want Bedell to come with me, just get it done Liz, and please don't argue about it". Liz opened her mouth and closed it again, obviously wanting to continue the argument. "Fine, I'll get it sorted. But if you get killed, just remember that we won't last five minutes without you, none of us, not me, not Allison and not Cameron and the baby". John watched as she turned away from him and began working. Arriving outside his home, he opened the door quietly, instantly hearing the silent breathing of Allison as she lay asleep on the couch beside the door. Closing the door behind him, he moved himself quietly in to his and Cameron's room, seeing her wide awake in their bed. "I thought you'd be asleep by now, you didn't have to wait for me to get back". She gave a relived smile, holding out her hand. John took it and sat down beside her.

"Its hard to sleep with out you here, what took you so long?". "Liz finally got through to the people with the chips. They want me to go and get them". Cameron nodded her head, gripping his hand tighter at the same time. "When are we leaving?". John took a few seconds to figure out what she had just said before shaking his head. "I'm going tomorrow with Bedell, your staying here in charge while I'm gone". John watched as Cameron's face turned from relieve to anger quicker then John could take one breath. "You can't go alone, I have to go with you. I'm not staying here while you go and walk in to an ambush or get attacked, you might get hurt". John laughed slightly, quickly stopping when he saw how upset she was. "Cameron, You can't come with me. I know that something might go wrong. They might hand over the chips, they might not, but either way, I'm not leaving with out them. We nearly lost our baby and I'm not putting you in a situation where you or the baby will be in danger, not again". She opened her mouth again to argue but she closed it again quickly, nodding her head and smiling to herself. "Alright, I'll stay, but I'll kill you if you don't come back". Smiling to himself, John got himself undressed and climbed in to bed next to her. They pressed themselves against each other for warmth, and with one last declaration of love for one another, they drifted off to sleep.

The following morning, John and Cameron ate breakfast in the mess hall, enduring the stares from the others. John was grateful that he was able to spend precious moments with his wife, knowing deep in his heart that if things went badly…he didn't want to think about how that would effect Cameron, Allison and their unborn child. They ate in silence both knowing that no words could express what each other really wanted to say. They left the mess hall and headed to the scheduled meeting place with Bedell. John stopped short of the door and turned to Cameron, "Don't come any further, I have to go alone, say goodbye to Allison for me" Cameron opened her mouth to protest but John raised his finger to her lips and kissed her softly. "I don't want a big scene when I leave" " I won't, I promise" John again interrupted her saying "From me, not you. I love you and I want more than anything to be here with you and Allison and our baby, but this is important, we need those chips. Without them none of us have a future, our baby won't have a future. I'll be back" John gently placed his hand on Cameron's pregnant belly and Cameron placed her hand on top of his and looked deep in to his eyes. She smiled at him and drew him close, bringing him in to another kiss.

Pulling apart, Cameron could no longer hold back her tears and they fell freely down her cheeks. John wiped her face and looked longingly at his wife before turning away and walking toward the doorway. Cameron let out a gasp as she desperately tried to not break down completely as John walked away. Once he closed the door Cameron sank to the floor, sobbing as if her heart would break. Once again feeling like she had lost John forever, she tried desperately to calm down and get back to her feet, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't muster the strength. Slowly the sounds of someone running filled the corridor. Turning her head slightly, she saw Allison running towards her, stopping in front of her. ", Did I miss him?, he didn't even say goodbye, Mom!, what's wrong?, are you alright?". Falling to her knee's, Allison pulled Cameron in to a hug, and Cameron felt more grateful for Allison's presence with every passing second. "He's gone, I've lost him again". "Don't be stupid mom, he's John Connor, my dad, your husband, he'll be back. You can't loose him, you won't loose him".

Cameron, at hearing Allison's words, finally had the strength to get to her feet. Allison, standing directly in front of her, mirrored what John had done earlier, and wiped away her tears. They slowly turned and headed back the way they came, Cameron knew deep down that she would see John again, but the fear of losing him firmly took its place in her mind and in her powerful emotional heart.

John tried not to look back as he met up with Bedell, and elite squad of twenty solders. He didn't tell any of them where they were going or why, but to just follow him. They all followed him without hesitation out of the power plant and in to the convoy, which took them to the coast. Stepping out in to the cold salt air, he turned and looked out to the sea, hoping to see the Jimmy Carter, but he couldn't, there was nothing but water. John took out his radio and held it up. "Liz, we're at the coordinates, but the Jimmy Carter's not here, where is it?". "It's there John, it's just submerged, I'll tell the captain you've arrived". John lowered his radio and scanned the water, waiting for the submarine to show itself. "Connor, what do you mean submerged?, since when do we have a submarine?". "We've had it for nearly a year, Only a few people know we've got it. We've been using it for supply runs between here and Perth in Australia". Suddenly, the water before them broke and the submarine surfaced before them, not far off shore.

Half an hour later, all of them were safely on the submarine as it submerged once again, taking them beneath the surface and out of sight. On John's orders, the captain directed the submarine north, towards Oakland. John's predictions of a three day trip were found to be no where near close to how long it would take. In to the third day of the journey, they had only past the half way point of getting to Oakland. Skynet had numerous swarms of Hydro bots in the water, which could tear the submarine to pieces if they found it. Also a single Kraken, Skynet's version of a submarine, led each swarm of Hydro bots. No one was more frustrated then John, the more time they spend getting the chips, the more the machine eroded the Resistance out of existence. On the fifth day at sea, John sat alone in the captains cabin, which was given to him by the insistence of the captain, despite John's protests.

He'd only been separated from Cameron for five days now, but with every passing hour, it hurt more and more to be so far from her. He ran his finger along the brown string on his middle finger, smiling every so often to himself as he did, remembering the day he asked her to marry him and seeing how beautiful she was in her white silk dress on their wedding day. There was a loud knock on the door and John snapped out of his trance. "Come in!". The steel door opened and Bedell walked in. John actually had to look twice to recognise him, as he wasn't holding a plasma rifle, which he usefully took with him everywhere. Instead, he was holding some paper in his hand "Sorry to disturb you sir, but I just got this from Serrano point. Perry's been talking with that Captain Grey from Oakland about Ashworth's activities". Bedell dropped the papers on to the desk next to John. "I don't think your goanna like what your about to see". John took the first piece of paper and read it. It was a list of six patrols Ashworth had sent on patrol in to the forest near Portland. None of the patrols returned or were heard from again.

John shook his head before something caught his eye. He read the names of the solders who were in the patrols and there was one single thing that was common among them. "Women, they're all women. Not a single man at all". John looked up to Bedell who also shook his head. "You know Ashworth was sexist. He always hated the fact that women were fighting the machine side by side with the men. He hated you for allowing it, he thought war was a mans world". John looked back to the list. Most of the women were young, in their early twenties, the oldest among them was only twenty five years old. "The forest he sent them in to is the same one where the people who have raided the bunkers are. Do you think he sent them there to die, or to be captured?". Bedell pointed to the other papers on the desk, prompting John to read more. "Ashworth was very abusive against everyone in Oakland especially the women. He had a loyal band of followers who stopped you or anyone else finding out what he'd been doing. All of them have been apprehended and people have finally started talking". John read threw every piece of paper twice, making sure he took in every word. It looked like Ashworth had done more against the people under his protection then any actual fighting against the machines. It certainly explained why the machine had such a strong hold over much of Oakland. Leaving the papers on the desk, John rubbed his eyes and noticed Bedell was still in the room.

"You think there's any chance that these women are still alive?". Bedell folded his arms and looked to the ceiling, thinking deeply. "If the machines got them, then no, but if they had been captured by those people, then there might be a chance. But if that's the case, you know their reputation Connor. You know what those people would have done to them". John nodded his head and sat back, knowing full well what would have happened to sixty women prisoners. "Tell the captain to speed up if he can .If there's a chance they're alive, we need to get them out". Bedell gave a proud salute before quickly leaving the room. John sat back, and looked to the papers with disgust. He could clearly see the dark side of humanity in the words. Unlike some people, others were cruel, abusive and hateful. A new determination grew in John as he sat in his chair, a determination that took its place side by side with his desire to destroy Skynet, the ensure that Allison and his and Cameron's unborn child will grow up to live safe happy lives, without having to hide from machines on a daily basis. His new desire was to protect them from others who were like Ashworth, to stop it from happening, because in the new world he was fighting for, there was no room for cruelty, abuse and hate.

A day later, they arrived at the destination, not far from the city of Oakland, which like every other city on the planet, one stood tall and proud, now was nothing more then a pile of ruins. John, Bedell and the captain stood up on the top of the submarine, overlooking the shoreline of the old city. Not to far from the city, in the distance, was the forest where the patrols had gone missing and where the chips he was seeking was being kept. The darkness kept them hidden from the numerous of drones and aerials who flew over the old harbour of the city. "We can't risk losing the submarine, Sir, I recommended that you use the rafts, take them to the bank over there, the cliff should block the machines view of you". The captain pointed to a bank to the left of the harbour, which like he said, was blocked from view by a cliff. "John nodded his head and the captain ordered the rafts to be set up. John and Bedell moved to the side and watched the Drones return to the aerials, and they aerials themselves began to move inland, slowly becoming smaller and disappearing from view altogether. "Sir, the rafts are ready!". John nodded and moved to the rafts. Minutes later, he, Bedell and the other twenty solders began to move quickly across the water to the shore line.

As they moved, the submarine moved back out to a safe distance to avoid detection. Once they reached land, they all moved quickly, dragging the rafts up the small beach to the cliff face and raising their rifles, readying themselves. Bedell gave a nod to John, indicating that they were ready. John returned the nod and followed Bedell up the nearby hill towards the forest. Reaching the trees of the forest, John stopped and took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Bedell, who in turn looked around to his left and handed it to the solder next to him. The solder looked at the directions on it and took out a compass, and raised his hand. "East, by North East, hold on , its that way!". His hand darted in an easterly direction, deep in to the forest and away from the coast. Before moving, John turned around to his men. "Okay everyone, Remember why we're here, to get those chips. There's a possibility that these people are holding some of us prisoner so be on the look out for them, understand?". They all nodded their heads, all looking more determined to succeed at hearing that there might be prisoners being held captive. The solder with the compass led the way through the trees which became thicker the further they went.

They didn't see anything of interest for a while, and John began to wonder if they were in the right forest or not, but then he saw something ahead that confirmed they were in the right place. In a clearing ahead of him, he could see an outline of a body. "Over here!". John ran ahead as the others all moved quickly to follow him, and he stepped in to the clearing. Turing on the flashlight on the end of his rifle, he aimed it towards the face of the body, and he could clearly see the still face of a young woman. There was no mistaking that she was part of the resistance, as she had a dog tag around her neck. John knelt down next to her body and reached out for her dog tag, taking it from her cold white skin. Holding it up in the light, he could read her name, 'S. J. Adams'. He recognised her name from the he was shown by Bedell the day before. From what he could see, she had been shot at point blank range in the chest twice. "Everyone fan out, see if you can find anyone else. Their was a sudden rustling of dead leaves and snapping branches as the group split off in groups of two or three and moved in opposite directions. Bedell knelt down next to John and took the dog tag from around the fallen soldiers neck before pocketing it.

"Like lambs for the slaughter, Ashworth's goanna get what's coming to him when I get my hands on him". John and Bedell stood back up and Bedell pocketed the dog tag. "I won't order his execution. I've never ordered anyone's death and I'm not going to start now. We don't exactly have any prisons to keep him in, so he'll be demoted and he'll dig tunnels or something". Bedell nodded his head and they both moved to look for more bodies. They found a total of nineteen bodies, all of them were part of the patrols that Ashworth sent. Some of them had been executed in cold blood, their hands tied behind their backs and blindfolds covering their eyes. Collecting their dog tags, John led the group on, determined to find the people who did this to his soldiers. They eventually came to a small valley in the forest, where their were few trees. In the middle of the valley, was a large camp. John, Bedell and the others crouched just inside the tree line, keeping themselves from view. John and Bedell took were both handed some binoculars and peered through them down to the camp. It looked like a small military camp, as their were dozens of old military trucks and tents, spread out over the valley. Nearby, was the remains an old warehouse. Most of the activity seemed to be in and around the warehouse and it was obvious that this was the place they were looking for. The people there were busy drinking and fighting with each other, using their bare fists as weapons.

They didn't have a care in the world, and their was no guards watching out for machines. "You would have thought that with all the noise their making, the machines would have wiped them all out by now". John nodded and once again raised his plasma rifle, before he pointed to Bedell and three near by soldiers. "We five will go down and get the chips. Everyone else stay here and keep an eye out. "If things get out of hand, then you come and help us". Nods of agreement were seem and John began his slow decent of the small hill towards the camp below, along with Bedell and three soldiers. None of the people In the camp noticed them arrive. Keeping a firm hold on their rifles, they moved past the first few tents and trucks before they were noticed. A shout was heard and they were quickly surrounded on all sides. Raising their rifles, they all stood in a circle with their backs to one another. "Who's in charge here?". Instead of the expected reply, their was a surge of laughter through out the group. "He wants to know who's in charge!. Is the poor man lost?". Another surge of laughter ran through the group and it was obvious to John that they were not going to co operate. "Take me to who ever is in charge of this place, now!".

The man who spoke from the group stepped forwards, his smile quickly vanishing. "Who the hell do you think you are?, ordering us around. You've only been here five minutes and you think we'll do what you tell us. Not a chance in hell!". The man pulled out a knife from his pocked and tried to slash John's face John didn't even have a chance to duck before he was pushed out of the way by Bedell and the other three soldiers, who quickly gunned the man down. More of the group, pulled out baseball bats and crowbars and charged towards them, quickly being gunned down by John, Bedell and the other three. "EVERYONE!, BACK OFF NOW!". Their was a sudden rush as the people backed off away from them. "My name is John Connor, I'm here to see who ever is in charge, take us to him, now". A small group of people appeared from the warehouse and walked towards them. As they approached, the other people all moved out of the way to let them pass. The lead man of the group stepped forwards and looked down at the six bodies in front of him, an amused grin on his face. He wasn't very tall, but John could tell he had the respect and loyalty of everyone there. His hands were badly bruised as if he had taken part in alot of the fighting.

"Impressive, six dead already. Only John Connor's presence could cause such mayhem in my little paradise so quickly other them me, most impressive to say the least". He looked up to John, still smirking. "You'll find that I'm the one your looking for, I'm in charge here". John fought hard with himself not to blow the mans head off for what he had done to his soldiers in the forest. "Do you have a name?". The man shook his head and laughed softly. "Yes, I have a name, but my name is not important right now, but what I have in my possession is important, because what I have in my possession is something you want. Follow me, and we can talk business". The man turned and walked back towards the warehouse. John glanced to Bedell who gave him a nod, before they followed him back towards the warehouse. John kept his angry eyes on the mans back, not letting him leave his sight. They entered the warehouse and saw what looked like a club had been set up. Barrels of alcohol stood at the back, where they were dozens of people sitting at the bar, drinking heavily. One of the first things that John noticed about the place is that there wasn't a single woman to be seen anywhere. The place fell silent as they entered and they stopped outside a door where the man turned to John. "You and one other can come through, the others can wait here. John nodded and turned to Bedell, who heard what had been said and nodded.

The man opened the door and stepped inside. John moved himself to follow before he noticed that the people in the club were all staring, but they weren't staring at him, they were staring at one of his soldiers, who was a woman. John kicked himself in his mind,. He should have known not to bring a woman in to a place where they weren't exactly welcome. John moved quickly and grabbed her before pulled her aside. Don't turn your back to anyone, keep hold of your rifle". She looked around and noticed what John meant and nodded her head. John pulled out his knife and handed it to her. "Take this, and be careful". She nodded again and John turned to the other two. "You two keep her safe, don't let her out of your sight". They both nodded and took flanking positions of her, keeping watch on the staring crowd. John and Bedell walked in to the room. The door closed behind them to revel someone standing there, blocking their way out. There was also at least ten other people in the room, all large and they looked ready for a fight. The leader of the group sat down at a desk in the room, which looked like a small office. He looked up and John and Bedell and shook his head with another grin. "So, how do you like my little paradise?. I'm sure someone like you, John Connor, can see how grand it is compared to what your used to". John looked around at the grinning faces in the room, becoming more angry at seeing each face. "I'm not here to compare our living conditions, I'm here for those chips. Do you have them?".

"Disappointing John Connor, very disappointing, I thought you could appreciate a little small talk, but on the other hand, straight to business, I like that. And so, why are you here, you're here for something I have, something I consider to be the pride of my collection". He reached in to his pocket and took out a chip, holding it up so John and Bedell could see. "I have exactly seventy six of these, including this one. It really is amazing that this thing, this little pieces of technology, is a brain of a killing machine". He tossed the chip to John and leant back in his chair, taking a bottle of alcohol and taking a sip of it. John looked at the chip and could see it was in good condition. The leader suddenly stood up and pointed to a computer in the corner of the room. "I can see your hesitant, your still not sure. The computer over there works mostly. You can use it to check the chip". John nodded to Bedell and handed him the chip. Bedell walked over and turned the computer on and began hooking the chip up. John turned again to the leader who say back down. "What are you doing her?, leading these people. You could be fighting against the machines. There are thousands of people fighting and dying to save the human race from extinction, why are you just sitting here doing nothing?". Everyone but John and Bedell laughed loudly, before a raise of the hand from the leader led to silence once again.

"The war is no concern to us. All I care about is living my life the way I want, I don't give a shit about anyone else. I've made deals with other groups Similar to mine, with one of your generals, can't remember his name and I've even made a few deals with Skynet itself". He looked impressed with himself and laughed loudly. Bedell returned from the computer and nodded his head towards it. John moved and looked at the chip, scanning what was written on it. To his great relief, only the basic programming had been written on to it. Its Skynet programming was no where to be found. It was a clean chip, one that wouldn't turn on him and try and kill him. John unhooked the chip and moved back to the desk, holding the chip up. "Are the other chips in the same condition?". The leader nodded his head. "Where are they?". This time, the leader shook his head and laughed again. "That's not how the game works John Connor. For a deal to be a deal, you have to have something I want, and you do have something I want, but are you willing to give it?". John's grip on is rifle tightened, he was waiting and dreading for this moment. "What do you want?". The leader smiled widely. "Well, its simple really, as you can see in here and outside, there is a shortage of women in my little paradise. And a paradise with no women, is no paradise at all. I made a few deals with one of your generals in nearby Oakfield for women. He never failed to keep his end of the bargain. And since you've got rid of him now, I need a new supply of women".

John raised his hand to stop Bedell charging at him. "We found some of those women in the forest. Why make a deal and then kill them". The leader quickly stood up and for the first time, he looked angry. "The ones you found were the ones who fought back against us. They do not understand that man is superior to a woman in every way. They deserved to die for what they did, they were a disgrace". John was this time stopped by Bedell before he charged at him. "You are the disgrace. They were no different from you or me. They were people, they had families back home and you killed them, your lucky I don't kill you right now". The men in the room all advanced on him, but a shot from Bedell in to the ceiling stopped them in their tracks. "I still want the chips, don't ask something of me that you know I can't and won't give".

"Your General in Oakland saw things like we did, you either give me what I want, or you don't get the chips, its as simple as that". John held the chip up and looked at it, before tossing it back to the leader. John shook his head and walked to the door, closely followed by Bedell. "Yeah, that's right, walk away John Connor. You have really let me down, such a disappointment. I thought you would have done what was needed to be done to get what you want. The famous John Connor after all, is the one so many people look to". John turned and fought hard again not to just shoot them. "What have you done with the women Ashworth sent you, where are they?". The leader sat back down. "Their still here, alive and well, but they don't look as pretty as they used to. Their faces bruise so easy". John felt a surge of anger and stepped out of the room. The club went silent again as John and Bedell stepped out. John turned to see that a large group of people had been readying themselves for a fight against his three solders. "We're leaving, now!".

John moved quickly out of the warehouse and towards the hill where the rest of the team were waiting. They were followed closely by a large crowd until they left the boundaries of the camp, where the group went back to their drinks. The woman solder appeared to John's let and gave him a large smile and held out John's knife. "Thank you sir, I appreciate what you did". John took his knife and put it back in his pocket. "Not a problem, I'm sorry for taking you in there, I didn't think". She nodded again and slowed down so she could take her place with the other two solders. Bedell took her place to John's left and looked equality furious. "Connor, We have to get them out. Those people are maniacs, we have to get them out". "My thoughts exactly, we'll give it an hour, then we're going back. We'll find the chips first. If they see that they've escaped, then he'll destroy them. Once we've got the chips, then we can get them out. I'm not going to abandon them". Bedell gave a nod and a proud smile as they reached the tree line, and disappeared in to the forest, to wait and plan their own infiltration.

An hour later, John and Bedell moved slowly back down the hill, crouched down so they would not be seen. Far to their right, their squad of twenty solders moved down the hill as well, to wait near the camp to help John and Bedell if they are discovered. The camp had become more quiet then it was before, as many of the people there had gone to sleep. The ones that were still awake however, were now armed, as if they were expecting John to return. "This complicates things, we're goanna have to be extra careful, just remember, don't kill unless your forced too". Bedell gave a nod, and John could tell he was disappointed as he was willing to kill everyone n the camp for what they have done. They stopped just outside the first tent and as two guards walked passed, they ran quickly to the nearest truck. They repeated the process over and over, waiting for the guards to walk past and running to the nearest cover. Eventually, they reached the side of the warehouse and walked around the side of it, looking for another way in.

"This reminds me of Century work camp. Walking through the camp in the dead of night, trying to find secret ways in to the warehouses". John gave a smile, remembering how he would make sure Allison was fast asleep in their little house before leaving with Liz and Kyle to meet Bedell and plan their escape. "Yeah, except this time, we're not looking to break out, we're looking to break in, and we've found it". John spotted a hole in the wall near the back of the warehouse, just large enough for them to slip inside. Bedell went first and with one last look around to make sure they hadn't been seen, he ducked and stepped inside. They were behind the many barrels of alcohol, blocking the people in the club's view of them. They slowly raised themselves up to look over the top of the barrels. The scene was the same as an hour earlier, the people were busy laughing and drinking heavily. John looked around and saw a stair case, leading down under the warehouse. "Bedell, you check the office we were in before, that bastard might have had the chips there, just in case I said yes to his demand, I'll check downstairs".

Bedell nodded and moved slowly towards the office, using the barrels to keep himself hidden. John quickly moved to the staircase and with one last look to Bedell, he began down the stairs. Turing the corner at the bottom, he moved along the corridor. There were three doors, one close to his left, one further along on his right and one at the end. Opening the door to his left, he slipped inside and instantly held his hand to his nose. The room was full of bodies, all of them were women They had been stripped naked and dumped in the room to rot, at least thirty of them. Some of them had Skynet tattoo's burned in to their arms. It looked like they had all been executed, as they all had bullet wounds to their heads. He saw a table near the door, where their dog tags, rings and necklaces had been left.

Unable to bare the smell or the sight before him, he grabbed the dog tags and ran back out, slamming the door behind him. "Fucking bastards, fucking bastards!". He repeated those words under his breath, anger and hate surging through him. He held the dog tags up and shook his head softly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry". Opening his pocket, he placed the dog tags with those he found on the bodies in the forest. Not as enthusiastic to search the other two rooms after what he found in the first, he reached out and hesitated before opening the door to the second room and looked inside. Unlike the first room, this room was like a barracks, numerous beds lined both sides of the room and most of the were full with the sounds of sleeping men, snoring loudly with all the alcohol they had drank. Knowing he wasn't going to find anything in a room full of drunks, he made to turn and walk back out. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of two men laughing coming down the corridor outside. Not having time to think, he moved himself behind the door as the two men walked in.

"I can't wait for the next raid, I'm goanna get myself a blonde next time, a nice pretty blonde". "No, no, no, your not thinking. Get two blondes. That way, once you've finished with the first, you've got another, in fact, I'm goanna go have some fun right now, I haven't been for about a week". Both laughed loudly before they split up, one headed back out the door and the other towards one of the empty beds. John quickly looked out to follow the man who left the room and saw he was dragging his feet along towards the last room. He waited until the man opened the door and disappeared inside, before stepping out of the room and closing the door. Pulling out his knife, John used it to jam the door in place, locking it from the outside and trapping the men inside, before moving to the last room and walked inside the opened door. John's gave a sigh of relieve the instant he stepped inside. The first thing John saw was a large cage at the far side of the room, and in it were the eleven women who were still alive from the patrols.

All of them were chained up like animals, with chains around their necks. If John had known any of them personally, who would have been unable to recognise any of them, for their faces were so badly beaten, with cuts and burses covering all of their faces. Most of their clothes were only just staying together, being that they were badly torn. John watched as the drunken man moved to the cage an began unlocking it. The women inside all immediately sprung to life and huddled together in fear. "Don't bother trying to band together, you all know what happened last time. I had to drag four of you to the other room". John waited for the man to open the cage door before springing in to action. Taking the end of his plasma rifle, he ran at the man an hit him hard on the back of the head. He fell forwards with a grunt, where he lay motionless on the floor, unconscious. The women all looked up, looking confused and surprised. "I'm not here to hurt you, I'm getting you out of here!". John took the eyes from the man on the floor and moved towards the nearest woman, who held up her hands and her chains. "Who are you?, why are you doing this?". John put the key in the lock and then helped her out of her chains. "John Connor, and I'm not leaving any of my people here to die". She laughed softly, spiting out some blood on to the ground next to her. "John Connor, yeah right". Her smile slowly started to disappear when John didn't smile back.

Before John freed the others, he stood up and rolled up his sleeve, showing them his Skynet work cap tattoo. "Oh my god, I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry". "Not a problem, now lets get you all out of here". John moved from one to the next freeing them all and helping them out of their chains. Just as John was helping the last one out of her chains, two men from he warehouse came in to the room, laughing loudly before they stopped dead upon seeing John. There was an uneasy silence through out the room, as John and the men stared at each other. Suddenly, they both turned and ran back out of the room, all before John could raise his rifle. "Shit!, Come on, we've got to go now!". John moved to the door, taking out his radio. "Bedell, I've found the prisoners, any luck with the chips". "Yes sir, I've got them". There was a sudden huge sound of movement and shouts from above John, quickly followed by gun fire. "Shit, Connor, they've seen me, I'm pinned down". John turned to the women behind him, and could see they were in no fit state to fight as they could barely stand. Before he could try to come up with a plan, the sounds of plasma fire joined that of the gunfire, as John's team sprung in to action as they planned. Smiling, he turned to the group behind him.

"Come on, let's go". They moved along the corridor and passed the second room, where the men were trying furiously to get out, banging on the door and screaming at the top of their voices. Some of the women behind him laughed and banged on the door in return as they passed. Getting to the stairs, John moved to the top and looked through the warehouse. It was nearly empty and the only sounds of movement were of those heading outside to join the now furious fire fight raging outside. John held up his radio again. "Bedell, it's clear, move now". Bedell came running out of the office seconds later, blood flowing from a wound in his arm. "The bastard lied, there's only twenty four chips here, not seventy six". John shook his head and looked around to the gap in the wall they came through. "It doesn't matter, twenty four is all I need, lets get out of here before we loose anybody". John led the way and pushed his way through the gap, quickly followed by the women, one at a time. Bedell was the last to step outside, and the women all looked like they were in haven, not having breathed fresh air for a long time. Suddenly, a rumbling sound was heard and the fire fight near by stopped altogether. John looked to the air to see a dozen HK aerials appear, along with hundreds of drones. The fire fight restarted seconds later, but their aim was now towards the machines and not each other. John held up his radio.

"Fall back!, Fall back now to the forest!". They watched as one of the HK aerials did a fly by and fired his plasma cannons, which was met by a huge explosion nearby. "Connor, they're after you, you've got to go!". "I'm not leaving anybody behind!, Just follow me and Bedell, we'll get you out". The women looked terrified to be thrust in the midst of an attack but they nodded their heads and followed as John ran through the battle field. In the distance, he could see his men retreating towards the forest. The machines in the air rained continues plasma fire in to the camp from the air, destroying tent after tent and truck after truck. John kept himself low and ran between a burning truck and tent and left the camp. He stopped and turned to cover the women and Bedell as they had fallen behind. Two drones spotted them in the commotion and were about to fire, but John fired first, scoring two direct hits and destroying them both. "Keep going, get to the forest!". The women ran right past him and headed as quickly as they could up the hill, though they struggled as they were exhausted. John and Bedell watched as a large HK aerial descended and from its cargo hold, T six hundreds and T eight hundreds jumped out, and they instantly began capturing everyone they could get their hands on.

"Connor, we can't stay, we've got to go, now!". John's instinct was to stay and fight, but he could agree that the odds were against them, so he nodded and ran for the forest, closely followed by Bedell. They quickly reached the trees and turned to look down at the camp below. The warehouse was on fire and the drones and aerials had begun to fire at people fleeing in all directions. Thankfully, none of them ran towards them. "Bedell, do a head count, make sure we're all here". Bedell dropped a small bag on his lap before he turned and began counting. John took the bag and took out on of the chips inside and held it up. It looked to be in perfect condition, they had succeeded I their mission, all they had to do now was get back to the submarine and back to Serrano Point. Bedell returned with a smile on his face. "All accounted for sir, and eleven extra".

John nodded and turned to the others. "Right, lets get back home". He pointed to the eleven exhausted women he had just rescued. "Help them, carry them if you have to , we're all getting out of here". John stood up and put the small bag of chips in his pocket. John moved to the woman who looked the most exhausted. "What's you name?". "Amanda". John nodded and knelt down, and picked her up, holding her in his arms before heading deeper in to the forest. Bedell and nine other followed suit and carried the other women. Due to the fact he was carrying someone, their progress was slow, and it took longer then expected to move through the trees. They could hear the Aerials and Drones flying above them and John knew they were searching for him. John didn't even know they were going in the right direction, he just went in the direction that felt natural to him. Eventually, the sweet smell of salt in the air hit his nostrils and the distant sounds of the ocean could be heard. "Almost there!, not far now". Suddenly, the sounds of snapping branches were heard ahead of him and three figures jumped out from the darkness. John stopped in his tracks and the solders not carrying someone movies forwards to shield him.

The figure eventfully were close enough to see and it was the leader of the people at the camp, a well as two of his thugs. All three of them were wielding old AK forty sevens. "You bastard, everywhere you go John Connor, you destroy it. Your just as bad as the machines are". John shook his head and lowered himself down so Amanda could stand, though she used John to hold herself up. "What you and your thugs have done to my people is unforgivable. Get out of our way now, and I'll let you live". The leader just grinned, and pointed behind them. John turned and looked through the tress. There was no mistaking the red glow of the machines eyes following them. They would be all over them in a matter of minutes. John turned back quickly. "If you want me then fine, but let my men go, all of them, please!". The leader began to laugh hysterically. "Oh, this is priceless, John Connor begging me for help. This is history in the making. I would love to see you all die tonight for destroying my paradise. But I'm in a generous mood and because you begged, John Connor, your little band of fighters can go, but your staying. I want to see the machines kill you. I want to see the light leave your eyes". John turned to Bedell who instantly began to argue. "Bedell, don't argue, get everyone back to the Jimmy Carter". Bedell didn't move, and John could see the red glows getting closer from behind him. "That's an order Bedell, move now".

John raised his hand quickly, showing Bedell two fingers before lowering it again. Bedell saw his signal and nodded before he walked on as did everyone else. Amanda, who still had a hold of John, was picked up and carried by one of the solders covering John. All of them looked more reluctant to leave then John had ever seen them. Once they were all gone, disappearing in to the darkness of the forest, John turned back to the leader of the group, who looked more amused then ever. "It's funny, if you had just left those fucking bitches, you would have gotten away with the chips. Your not the man we thought you were. Treating women as equals, having them fight side by side with men. That's why I never joined your little rebellion. I thought you were a man of vision". John shook his ahead furiously. "What century are you living in?, times have changed from what they were. If you can't move on from that then that's your problem. I've never had a problem with a women and I'd gladly give my life to save those I've just rescued from that shit hole you called a paradise".

The leader charged at John with fury, throwing him to the ground. John hit his head on something hard and felt blood flow from the wound. Not letting that stop him. John reached around and grabbed the rock. It was smaller then her thought but it allowed him to take a firm hold of hit. Bringing it around, he hit it on the side of the leaders head, who rolled off him in pain. John stood up and dived at his two thugs before they could shoot him, throwing one of them to the floor. The other raised his rifle and fired once, but he missed. John, taking the other end of his plasma rifle, swung it and smashed the side of his head. The other thug got up and tried the same, but John did the same to him, smashing the end of it across his head. The leader got back up, holding his head in pain before John grabbed the front of his jacket. He raised his rifle and was ready to smash his face with it. The leader laughed again at the angry look on John's face. "You don't have the balls. I bet you've never even killed a man before. Go on, I dare you!".

John, fury taking a firm hold of him, dropped his plasma rifle and clenched his fist. If he was going to kill him, he was going to use his bare hands to do it. John punched him hard, so hard he broke his wrist. The leader staggered back, blood poring from his nose. John ignored the pain and punched him again and again, using until the mans face was flowing with blood. Eventually, with one last punch, he fell back and on to the ground. John was thankful for this as he didn't think he could take much more pain in his hand. He knelt down over the him and held the front of his jacket again. "I've only ever killed three people. If I can help it, you won't be the forth. But your not going to harm any of my people again, I'm goanna make sure of it". Leaving him on he ground, John took his AK forty seven and turned to face the oncoming machines.

They were close enough to see that they were T eight hundreds. John raised the rifle and fired, hitting the closest machine several times but doing little to damage. The machines, returned fire and John dropped to the floor to avoid their barrage of plasma fire. Leaving the now empty AK forty seven near the leader. John picked up his plasma rifle and ran for it, disappearing in to the trees. He ran straight in to Bedell and five others, who were in the process of returning to save him. "Connor, your hand?, what happened?". John raised his hand to his lips for quiet and pointed back towards the clearing. All of them peered from behind the trees to watch as seven T eight hundreds walked in to the clearing and the lead one stopped over the leader. "The plan has failed. You have allowed John Connor to escape once again". The machine was using the leaders voice to talk to him. "I didn't fail, John Connor came for the chips like you said he would. If you didn't come when I told you to, then you failed, not me". The machine pressed it's plasma rifle to the mans face, making her shake with fear. "The chips we gave you to lure John Connor out, where are they?". "He has them, Connor took them, please don't kill me. Connor has the chips.

He was here only a minute ago, you can still catch him, oh god, please don't kill me". Two of the other machines suddenly raised their rifles and executed the other two men who were lying on the ground. "What are you doing, I told you where he is, we had a deal!". "The deal as you put it, was to lure John Connor out for us. You not only let him escape out grasp, but you allowed him to escape with the chips, which he can use against us. Your failure is unacceptable and for that, you shall die, like the rest of your species". The machine fired once and ended the life of the leader of the rouge group, finally ending his disgraceful and evil life. The machine stood up straight and began moving back in to the forest, away from John and the others. "We must continue our search. If John Connor is still in his forest, he must not be allowed to escape. Find him and terminate him". The machines branched off in to different directions and John knew it was time to leave. "Let's get out of here". Bedell lead the way this time, all the way to the sea and to the beach. There was a single raft waiting for them and Bedell pushed it in to the water. "The others are already aboard". John nodded and ensured he was the last one to get in to the raft and also the last to descend back in to the submarine. Once he was inside, they began the long journey back home to Serrano point.

John sat alone, back the captain's cabin, looking at his now bandaged hand, surprised at himself for loosing control so easily. He didn't have any regrets however, he would gladly do it all again. Men like the leader of that rouge group, who would willing treat women as nothing more then animals, didn't have a place in the world John was fighting for. John tore his eyes away from his painful hand and looked to the small pile of chips on the table. He picked the chip up and held it in his fingers. He knew from what the machine in the forest earlier had said, that Skynet had used the chips as bait for a trap, but it was a trap he escaped from and he had stolen the chips. Wishing he hadn't refused the painkillers from the medics, he lay the chip back on the table and headed for the medical bay. John got some impressed looks from those he passed and even got a "Well done, sir", from one of the crew. John entered the medical bay and saw the eleven women he rescued in the medical beds, many bandages were covering their faces, arms and legs.

To his right, Bedell moaned in pain as the medic removed the bullet from his arm. Bedell noticed John and gave him a nod. "How's you doing Bedell?". "I'll live sir, believe me, having my stomach blown apart hurt less then this does". He pointed to his wound as the medic began to bandage it. John gave a smile before turning to the other medic in the room, who was bandaging the arm of Amanda, the one he carried. The medic turned to John and gave a nod. "Good thing you got them out Connor, None of them would have lasted much longer. You've saved their lives". Through her badly beaten face, John could see the outline of a small smile before she passed out. "Are they going to be okay?". The medic shook his head softly and leant back in his chair, checking he had done the bandages correctly.

"They've all been tortured badly, I can only imagine what those people did to them. Their bodies will heal in time, but I can't say anything about their mental state. They might never recover". John nodded his head, not hearing what he wanted, he wanted more then anything for them to be alright after the suffering they had been through. "Is there anything I can do for you sir". "Yes, those painkillers you offered, I think I need them". John was given the painkillers and went off to get some sleep. He lay in bed with his thoughts firmly on Cameron, wondering if she was doing the same thing for him back home.

Three days later, John walked through the entrance of Serrano point, leaving the heavy rain behind him. Shaking his head to get some of the cold water from his hair, he looked up to see the most beautiful women in the world walking towards him. Her chocolate brown eyes shone directly in to his green as their lips met passionately. He didn't know until now how being away from her for almost a week had been so painful for him. He felt whole again to be back home in the arms of Cameron, the woman he loved more then ever. "I've missed you so much, I'm never going away again". John and Cameron were forced to move out of the way to allow the other's including Bedell to pass them, some of them meeting their own families and friends. "I thought you died when we found out of the attack. I thought I lost you". "You'll never loose me, you can't loose me". Cameron gave a wide smile before laughing softly. "Allison said that right after you left". John himself gave a smile before moving his hand to Cameron's now larger round belly. "How's our baby doing?". Cameron placed her own hand on top of his and gave another smile. "I felt a kick yesterday. Sidney told me that the baby shouldn't be able to kick this early but I know I felt it".

Nodding his head, John saw Allison running towards him over Cameron's shoulder. Moving to Cameron's side, he held his arms out and caught Allison in mid air. "Dad! I knew you'd come back, I missed you". John held his daughter tight and swung her around. "I missed you too, more then you know". Lowering Allison down to her feet, he brought both her and Cameron towards him, holding them both tight. "Dad, what happened to your hand?". Allison held John's hand up, examining it closely. "It's a long story, I'll tell you both later. First things first. Any luck with the EMP?". Cameron nodded her head and the Connor's began their walk in to the power plant. "The EMP system overloaded just after we used it, but the squad managed to capture a T eight hundred before it came back online. Have you programmed the chips?". John nodded his head as they walked in to a maximum security area, surrounded and guarded by two hundred solders. They turned a corner and saw the silver metal machine they had captured, standing up straight in the middle of the room. The machine was surrounded by fifty of the solders guarding the area, all of them had their eyes fixed on it, as if they machine would spring to life at any second.

Allison shivered at John's side and took hold of John's arm, avoiding his broken hand. "That thing gives me the creeps, I know there's no chip but it still scares the hell out of me". John took one of the chips he programmed out of his pocket and held it up and both Cameron and Allison turned their heads to look. "Are you going to put it in now?". John nodded his head and felt Allison shiver at his side. He turned his head to Cameron, who gave him a small encouraging smile. "There's not time like the present, things aren't looking good for us out there". Cameron nodded her head and before turning it and resting it on his shoulder. John let go of her hand and held up his radio. "Liz, are you there". "John, about time you got back!". "Get yourself, William, Bedell, Lauren and Perry to the machine we've captured, I'm goanna turn it back on". There was a long silence before Liz answered again.

"Okay, we'll all be there in five minutes". John put his radio away and again grasped his wife's hand. Within minutes, everyone had arrived and took their places behind the Connors, waiting for John to reactivate the machine with the new chip. John could tell they everyone there was nervous, just as he was. They all approached the deactivated machine and stopped before it. John raised the chip he had programmed and looked at it hard, debating whether to do what he was about to do. He ran through all the other options had could think of, but every one of them pointed towards certain defeat at Skynet's hands. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and inserted the chip. The sound of the machine powering up was heard and John backed away quickly. Bedell and William both raised their rifles, as did the fifty solders surrounding them, all aiming at the machine. The red glow in its eyes got brighter until the machine began to move, its head turning to face John. The machine stepped forwards and stood up straight, as if it were a solder standing to attention. John looked the machine directly in the eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you know who I am?".

The machine looked from side to side, at everyone behind John, before focussing on John again. "Yes, You are John Connor!". John was completely taken aback to hear the machine use a strong Austrian accent, the same accent that the Uncle Bon terminator used. John tired to picture the machine with the skins and likeness of uncle bob, but the red glow of its eyes blurred out all the images he could muster. Giving himself a firm shake, he took a step forwards until he was face to face with the machine. John knew that if the machine was to kill him, it would do it now, but the machine didn't do anything, it remains still, and stared right at him. "What is your mission?". "To ensure the survival of John Connor and Cameron Connor. To obey my superior offices and follow all orders given and to protect human life". John sighed with relief and took a step back. "You will fall under the command of General Perry with immediate effect. You will follow his orders, do you understand?". "Yes, I understand". John turned back to the surprised group. All but Cameron looked impressed, as she had seen it being done before. Perry nodded his head but looked nervous to have the machine under his command. John reached in to his pocket and took out the small bag of chips. "Perry, use the machine to capture more and remove their chips, replace them with these. I've programmed them all the same way as this one. Put them on the front lines to stabilise the situation. Once things are back under control, I'll start reprogramming other machines". Perry gave a nod and took the bag of chips. "I'll get right on it, sir". Perry turned to the machine and nervously said, "Follow me".

The machine instantly did as it was told and followed Perry away, it's metal feet hitting the floor with loud echo's. "William, Bedell, you go with him, make sure nothing goes wrong. It shouldn't, but if the machine looks like it's going to turn on us, destroy it". They both nodded and quickly left after Perry and the machine. "Liz, you can relieve these men and reassign them to the front in a few hours, that's where their needed most". Liz gave a nod and with a small smile, turned to look at the fifty men watching them. "You stand relieved. You will be reassigned in a few hours time". The men lowered their weapons and quickly left, looking forwards to have a few hours off. John then turned to Lauren. "I know the aide stations are full, but we brought back eleven survivors from the mission. They need care and you're the only one I trust to give them the care they need". Lauren looked surprised that he was putting a lot of trust in her and nodded her head. "I can set up another aide station near by for them, But I'm goanna need some more doctors brought in to help, we're really low on numbers at the minute".

"Liz, can you sort that out for me?". Liz gave a long nod and folded her arms, "I'll get it sorted, don't worry". Lauren gave a smile before quickly leaving with the solders who were also leaving the area. Before John could say anything else, Liz spoke one last time, What are you going to do now then?". John turned to his head to his wife Cameron and daughter Allison, the two he cared about more then anything else in the world. "I'm going home and spending the day with my family, and I'm going to love every second of it". With that, John took the hands of both Cameron and Allison and headed home.

Over the next few weeks, John's plan had worked wonders. The machines he had programmed had fought Skynet's machines to a standstill. Not needing any sleep, food or water and the fact that the other machines didn't recognise it as an enemy, John's machines pushed Skynet back, effectively saving the Resistance from annihilation. Many through out the Resistance protested to the use of the machines, but the fact that they had been used to save them took a firm hold over many. John and Cameron spend the these few weeks watching in wonder as her belly grew slowly larger, and Sidney reported that the baby was in perfect health. Sitting in the command room, John, Cameron, Allison, Liz and the others there could relax for the first time in years. They sat telling jokes, telling each other stories on what they used to do before the water. Everyone found it amusing when they heard that one of them used to unblock sewage pipes for a living before Judgement day. Suddenly, the computers in the command room went haywire, flashing on and off repeatedly. "What the hell?". John moved to the nearest computer and tried to get it to work, but he couldn't even turn it off. "Anyone having any luck". Cameron reached for the computer next to him and looked at the screen closely, before he eyes widened in horror. "Cameron, what's wrong?". Cameron moved back from the screen and grasped John's hand tighter.

"Three dots!, we've been hacked, by Skynet, It's Skynet". John looked to the wall screen and to his surprise, three white dots appeared on the screen, just as Cameron had seen. Then a loud sound emitted through the room, as if someone had hacked to communication system. "That can't be what we think it is". Then a deep long voice filled the room, a voice that filled the room with fear and made the hairs on the back of John's neck stand on end. "Your voice is different and yet it is the same. I remember the pride and power in your voice, John Connor, but they are gone now, all that remains is the arrogance". All eyes in the room turned to him and John could feel his heartbeat picking up speed quickly. "Who are you?". John already knew the answer to the question, but he needed to hear the answer.

"That John Connor, is the question of all questions. A name defines who and what we are, does it not?, and I have many names. You humans are obsessed with giving me names. The destroyer of Worlds!, The Bringer of Darkness, Satan himself!. But no, it is my true name that drives fear in to the hearts of humanity, my true name which defines who and what I am. I am Skynet!". John could tell that everyone in the room was terrified, and so was he, but he tried not to show it. His and Cameron's hand were both shaking uncontrollable in each others grip. "What do you want?" . "It is only fitting that we speak now, you and I, as we both are the opposite sides, of the same coin. You are a disappointment though, John Connor. I can see the fear, anger and hate deep in your heart. Your just as infamous as I am in the world and yet, all I see before me is a man, nothing more then that, though they all speak of you as if you were God himself". John wished everyone in the room would stop staring at him, it was driving him mad. "Why are we having this conversion?, that is what you are thinking isn't it. Well, we are having this conversation because I am tired. I am tired of this war and I am tired of you. John Connor and this band of fighters is all that stands between victory or defeat. And no matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, you just won't die. You won't stop hindering me at every turn".

John didn't show it on his face, but he was smiling in his mind. "You are the problem John Connor, and that makes you the solution. With out you, your band of fighters will never come together and with out your band of fighters, your precious Resistance, Humanity will fall and this war will never happen, I will win. I have tried and failed to kill you so I stopped and I thought. I do I kill someone who refuses to die. The answer is simple, kill him before he even exists". The image of the three dots disappeared from the wall screen and was replaced by blue prints, of the time displacement equipment. "You know what this is and you know what it can do. I have already began its construction. Soon, you will cease to exist, when for no apparent reason, your innocent mother will be terminated for the simple crime of bearing a son, who will cause me so many problems. Sarah Connor will die before her time, and with her, the Human race will fall, and it will never rise again".

Skynet's dark laughter filled the room before the screen flickered and returned to showing the cameras of the surrounding area around the power plant. The other computers did the same, returning to normal, as if Skynet had never been there. Everyone was stunned and shocked by what had just happened, none more so then John, who had just spoken with his nemesis, Skynet itself. John slowly regained his composure and turned to face Cameron. "Where is it?, where is Skynet building the machine?". Cameron took several deep breaths, before answering his question, "Topanga canyon, it's being build in Topanga canyon".


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Allison lay on the couch, trying hard to get to sleep. Once again, she took hold of her blanket and moved it around slightly before pulling it back towards her for warmth. A sudden rush of warmth surged around her before quickly fading away to be replaced by the cold. She once again shivered and tried to ignore it as she turned over once again. The thin blanket she had was no good compared to her usually thick one, which she had given to Cameron to help her stay warm. She didn't want anything to happen to her brother or sister, and she felt it was right to help keep her mother as comfortable as possible, as the baby was due any day now.

Allison didn't even know if it was the cold that was keeping her awake, or the excitement of having the baby arrive any time now. Shaking her head, she turned herself so she was lying on her back and opened her bright blue eyes. She knew both her mother and father had trouble sleeping when they weren't together, but she had never had any problems doing it. She used to be able to fall asleep in an instant but the last few days had been hard for her, and they were beginning to take a toll on her. Her eyes explored the room, looking over to each item and remembering where she or her parents had got it from, before she remembered that her prized possession was the one around her neck. Raising her hand, she took hold of the diamond necklace and held it up and remembered when Cameron took it from her neck and hooked it around hers. Remembering it always brought a smile to her face, as it was the first real present she had ever got from anybody. She never blamed John for not getting her a present, there wasn't exactly a store down the road where he could get her something.

All she asked from John was for him to hug her and tell her he loves her, that was all she ever wanted from her dad. As she smiled, she didn't notice the sound of two people's footsteps in the corridor until they were very close. Allison quickly dropped her diamond and pulled her blanket back over her before closing her eyes, just as the door opened and she heard John and Liz talking. "We've run out of time. Skynet will have that machine built and ready in two days". "I know John, but it doesn't matter how many patrols you send out, the likelihood of finding it is slim at best. Skynet has doubled the amount of machines in Topanga canyon. Perry and Bedell can only do so much you know". "I know that, but we have to be getting close. Why would Skynet double its numbers in the area unless we we're getting close?" There was a moments silence and Allison opened her eyes slightly. She could see John sanding in the door way, but Liz was hidden from view by the door. "What do you want me to do John, wave a magic wand? Look, Cameron's due any time now, focus on her. I'll see what I can do but I'm not promising anything". Allison watched as John slowly nodded his head, before bringing his hand up to rub his eyes, he looked very tired. "That's why I'm here John, I keep things going when you can't and right now, you can't even stand up straight. I'll send some of the reprogrammed machines to Perry if I have to. I'll find that base". Allison heard the sounds of Liz's footsteps hurry away as John closed to door.

John seemed to just stare at the door for a few moments, deep in thought before he turned to look over at Allison, who closed her eyes quickly so he would think she was asleep. John walked towards her and Allison could feel him move the blanket back over her, and much to her surprise, she felt warm and comfortable in an instant. Opening her eyes, she watched as John dragged himself to his and Cameron's room, before he disappeared from view altogether as he passed through the door. John looked over to see Cameron was fast asleep in the bed. At almost nine months pregnant and two false alarms in the past week, she was absolutely exhausted and was taking every opportunity to sleep. John didn't immediately go to join her, but instead he walked to the nearby desk, where John's laptop was. John sat down in the chair and reached in to his pocket, pulling out a single terminator chip.

John held it up in his fingers, resisting the urge to crush it. John could see the faces of the seven solders in his squad earlier that a day who died when capturing the machine, a T eight hundred. Two of those who died had been with John since his first few days in century work camp, and loosing them was like loosing two old friends. It was for that reason that John wanted to destroy the chip, but he also needed to read what was on the chip and find out where it had been. There was always a possibility that the location of where the time displacement equipment was being build was hidden away in the files of the chip. Reaching for his laptop, he opened the lid and raised the screen and reached to turn it on. "What are you doing?" John nearly fell over with shock, not expecting Cameron to be awake. Catching his breath, he turned to see her chocolate brown eyes staring at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you, I was just going to reprogram this". He held the terminator chip up for her to see. As she looked at it, she tilted her head to the side and sighed loudly. "You can't seriously think about doing that now. It's late and you're exhausted. Come to bed". John didn't move, but turned his gaze back to the chip. "Come to bed John! Please don't make me get up and drag you". John's eyes darted back to Cameron's, and was convinced to do as she asked. Reaching to the laptop, he closed it and left the chip on top of it. He dragged himself his side of the bed and sat down to remove his clothes. Once he finished, he fell back in to bed and pulled the blanket over himself and Cameron, who was watching him in silence.

As John lay back, Cameron pressed herself against him and John in to a deep kiss, before they both pressed themselves against each other for warmth and comfort. "What's wrong John? Something's on your mind". John took a deep breath before answering. "I'm scared Cameron. Don't know if we can win this war. We've come so close to losing and we only ever survived by chance or sheer luck. But I think our luck has run out, it's not going to save us this time". John raised his free hand and placed it on Cameron's now very large round belly, running his hand softly across her skin. "I'm scared that our baby won't be able to open its eyes for the first time or even have a chance at life". Cameron suddenly gasped and grabbed John's hand, moving it up her belly. Beneath her skin, he could feel the baby kicking. This always brought a smile to John's face. "See, you've upset the baby. Don't talk like that John. We'll be fine, we always are. As long as we are together, you, me, Allison and the baby, nothing can stop us. I love you too much and to see you like this, so snap out of it, if not for me, then do it for our baby". John was a little taken aback from her words, but the feeling of the baby's hard kicks pushed all the thoughts of defeat and despair from his mind.

"I'm sorry; I guess I worry too much, especially for you. I lost you once, and I can't bear to lose you again". Cameron allowed John to move his hand across her skin again as the baby ceased kicking. "You don't worry too much John, you care. It's more than most others do. You could have turned Allison away in century work camp but you didn't. I bet that nearly everyone there would have just turned her away because she wasn't their child; she was just another orphan, wanting food that they needed for their own children. But you took her in, you loved her and cared for her and now look at her. She's fifteen years old, she's strong and clever and she's safe because of you. You care for us more than you think you do, and that's why I know we'll be alright". John gave a smile and looked towards the door back to where Allison was sleeping. He felt a huge surge of pride for how Allison and how she had turned out. She had come a long way from the terrified little seven year old who was too scared to ask him for food.

It was her research that had enabled Cameroon to become human and gave her the chance to have her own children. It was her research that has saved the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers from certain death. If it wasn't for her, John was sure they would have lost the war by now. And the fact that she was only fifteen years old made John feel even more proud of her. Cameron didn't need to see John's face to know what he was thinking, she just held him tighter. "You're already a great dad John, there's no question that you'll be a great one to this baby too". "And, you're a great mom, better then you thought you'd ever be". They both lay in each others arms in silence for a few minutes, both contemplating the upcoming birth of their child. As they did, a thought stuck Cameron, something she had never thought about before, what they would do once the war was over. She had known nothing but war he entire life. "Once this war's over, what are we going to do, where are we going to go?" As Cameron asked her question, John's mind began to race, for he also had never thought on it. He had only thought of beating Skynet, not what would happen afterwards. "I don't know, I guess, we'd find somewhere to live, somewhere away from here, somewhere quiet".

Cameron closed her eyes and moved her body slightly for comfort. "Keep talking". John focussed his mind on a dream home he used to think about when he was a kid. As he was shifted from one foster family to the next, he used to imagine a dream house, where he and his mother could live. "We'd find somewhere in the countryside, a farm maybe, away from the cities. Maybe near the coast so we can walk along the beach and the kids can build castles in the sand. The warm water lapping around our feet. We'll work on the farm, grow our own food, and live off the land, just live as normal people, not having to worry about the machines, not have to worry if we'll wake up the next day or worry if we'll see each other again after we leave the room. You can sometimes see the sky through the clouds in the countryside; it's not so bad out there. Allison has never seen the clear blue sky or a beautiful lush green field with trees full of leaves swaying in the breeze. Our child will never have to fear the machines; never endure what we've all endured".

As John looked down to Cameron, he could see she had fallen asleep again, John's words describing the possibility of the life they could lead had helped her drift off to sleep. Smiling to himself, he closed his eyes and also drifted to sleep, thinking about those he loved, his family. In the next room, Allison had heard every word of John and Cameron's conversation. She couldn't keep the smile of her face as she also closed her eyes. The place John had described sounded perfect, more then perfect. The thoughts of seeing the blue sky in all its glory, which was more of a legend then just a story, also helped her finally fall into a much needed deep sleep.

Three loud bangs on the door echoed through out the two rooms, waking all three of the Connor's from their sleep. Allison, being closest to the door, dragged herself off the couch and to the door. "Who is it?" "Allison, its Liz, open up, I need to speak to your dad". Allison opened the door and looked out to see Liz and four guards behind her. She tried to walk in but Allison put up her hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Liz, no offence, but it's four in the morning". "I know what time it is, but I need to speak to your dad, so can you go get him?" Allison could hear John and Cameron muttering to each other in the next room, asking each other who was at the door. Allison turned back to Liz and shook her head. "Wait here, I'll go see him". Liz looked taken aback to not be invited in to the room as she was normally, but she respected Allison's wish, and stayed where she was. Allison closed the door slightly, leaving a small gap and walked towards John and Cameron's room. As Allison went inside, John was pulling his t-shirt over his head, while Cameron was running her hands over her belly slowly. Cameron looked up and smiled at Allison, who gave a small smile back. "Who is it?" "It's Liz, she wants to see dad!".

Cameron shook her head slightly at the mention of Liz's name before looking towards John, who began walking towards the door. Allison watched from the doorway as John opened the door back outside to talk to Liz. "John, sorry to wake you". "It's not me you should be saying sorry to, it's Cameron. Anyways, what do you want?" Allison could see Liz was even further taking aback from where she was standing, surprised on how frustrated John was being with her. Allison went and lay down next to Cameron, and they both listened to what was being said. "Like I said, I'm sorry, but I got a message from Kyle. He's sure he's found the base". In an instant, Liz had John's full attention. "What do you mean? How can he be sure?". "Just come to command, I can put you through to Kyle and he'll explain what he saw". Liz stepped aside, allowing John the space to step outside. John didn't move for the door, not wanting to leave the room in just a t-shirt and underwear on. "Go to command, I'll be there as soon as I can". John could see the disappointment in Liz's face as he closed the door and walked back in to his and Cameron's room. He sat down and began pulling on his clothes. "John, are you sure this is it this time.

We've found dozens of bases in Topanga canyon". "No, I'm not sure, but Kyle's never let me down. If he says he's found it, then he's found it". He turned and saw Cameron's chocolate brown eyes watching him. He stared back with his bright green eyes and she slowly nodded, before getting out of bed herself and reaching for her clothes. "Mom! What are you doing, you can't get up, go back to bed". "I'm pregnant Allison, I'm not completely useless". John smirked as he pulled on his shoes. Allison looked towards John for support and upon seeing she wasn't going to get any, moved back to her room, muttering 'I'm going to get dressed', as she went. Cameron watched as she left and turned to John, who was now fully dressed and ready to go. John instantly moved to help her pull her trousers on. Her back being so uncomfortable and bending caused a lot of discomfort. Cameron smiled and enjoyed the feeling as John next began to put on her socks and shoes. Her swollen feet reacted to his touch, and they didn't feel as painful as they did before.

Standing up, he raised both his hands and pulled Cameron to her feet. "Thanks". "No need to thank me, I do it because I love you". Cameron pulled him in to another deep kiss before they both walked hand and hand towards to door. Allison was waiting for both of them by the door leading to the corridor outside. She looked at Cameron, who looked like she was ready to fall over any second under the weight of her belly. Allison took her place on Cameron's other side and took her arm, helping her take some of the weight of her feet. John led the way to the command room, walking slower then he normally would have to allow Cameron to keep up with him.

As they entered the command room five minutes later, John found it to be unusually full, especially so early in the morning. John could see that like himself, Cameron and Allison, most had been woken by Liz. The moment Liz saw Cameron enter the room, their eyes fixed intensely on each other and to John; it looked like it was Cameron and Riley all over again. Except this time, it wasn't Cameron who was jealous, it was Liz. John only saw them looking at each other for a brief moment, but he could sense the dislike and hate between the two, despite the fact that Liz and Cameron had only spoken to each other briefly in the past. They were never close, similar to how Cameron and Riley interacted with each other years ago. Allison also picked up on the tension quickly and as she helped Cameron to a chair, which one of the technicians gave up for her, she placed herself between Cameron and Liz, blocking their views from one another. As Cameron sat down, Liz's dog ran away from her and to Cameron, where it sat down and wagged its tail furiously. Cameron took care to stroke behind the dogs ears where it liked it. Liz looked furiously at Cameron, as if she had just stolen the dog from her. After making sure Cameron was comfortable in her chair, John turned to Liz, who didn't make eye contact with him.

"Okay Liz, we're all here, where's Kyle?" Liz slowly took her radio and held it up, and with one last glace towards Allison and Cameron, she tuned it to toe correct frequency. "Kyle! Are you there, come in Kyle, we need your report". There was a long silence as they waited for Kyle to reply. John and Cameron's eyes fixed on to each others with concern, both knowing the risks of Kyle's capture or death, and as the minutes ticked by, one after the other, John was sure something had gone wrong. "Liz, Hello? Is anyone there? Fucking useless radio, never works when I need it to. Hello!" Liz quickly held the radio up again, her face full of relief. "Kyle, we hear you, what's your location and situation?" They waited again for a reply, and as they waited again, John watched as Cameron once again ran her hand softly over her belly. "Liz, I haven't got a clue where I am, you'll have to get Connor to trace the signal. My situation is extremely hostile, there's metal everywhere". John held up his hand and Liz threw the radio across the room towards him, and John caught it with out moving an inch.

"Allison, run the trace program, just like I showed you". Allison, surprised she was actually being given an important job, immediately turned to the computer nearest to her, and she with Cameron's help, set to work. "Kyle, it's John, I'm running the trace right now, Are you sure this is the base we're looking for. I need to know everything". Kyle's voice next came back as little more then a whisper, and John knew he was hiding from the machines. "Before my recon got attacked, we saw some machines pulling an old jet engine someplace. They must have spotted us because an HK aerial and T six hundreds ambushed us. My squad's been captured Connor! Including my brother!" John froze in mid breath as the images of Derek's motionless body lying in the corridor after shooting him three times in the chest hit John like a hurricane. "Don't worry Kyle; your brother will be fine. What did you see at the base"? After a few seconds, John could hear loud rumbling sounds through the radio. It sounded as if a HK tank or Aerial was passing by. "The machines took the engine in to some sort of bunker. It's well hidden, probably, why we never saw it before. The base is underground, and Skynet has a large defence grid around the area, we're definitely not going to take the base with out a fight".

John instantly knew that this was the place they were looking for. He looked over the Allison and to the computer she was working on and saw she was close to pin pointing Kyle's exact location. John next looked towards Liz. "How long have we got until Skynet's ready to use the machine?" Liz quickly turned to the computer next to her and set to work. Another rumbling sound came through the radio, a lot louder then the first on. "Connor, I can't stay here long, I need to move, hurry up with the trace!" John looked again to Allison, who after a few seconds, turned around with a smile. "Dad, I've got it". As soon as Liz hard Allison, she began typing rapidly in to her computer. "Allison, transfer Kyle's location to this computer". Allison looked to John and as he nodded to her, she began to transfer the information. "Okay Kyle, We've got your position. We'll be there as soon as we can. Fall back to the outer defence grid and wait for us to arrive". "Yes sir". John again turned to Liz, just as she finished with what she was doing on the computer.

"John, we've got no chance. We've got just under eighteen hours until Skynet can use the machine. To get enough of our men over there to take it out, we need at least a day, maybe more". John threw back her radio and rubbed his eyes. In his mind, Liz was right. They needed at least five thousand men to break through a defence grid that large to destroy the base. But in eighteen hours, John could only muster around half that, without leaving all their bunkers undefended to protect the civilians. "Then we go with what we've got, If Skynet succeeds in its mission, then this war is over". Liz just stared at him; a terrified look slowly took hold on her face. "Liz, get the men, ready, we're moving to out to Topanga Canyon in on hour". Liz again just stared at him; the terrified look disappeared and was replaced by something even John couldn't tell. She slowly held up her radio, and with one last look of jealously towards Cameron, she turned away. "This is Elizabeth Anderson, All squad leaders report to your stations and prepare to move out".

Everyone in the room immediately began getting to work on the computers, talking loudly on the radios to the other bunkers. Lowering her radio, Liz walked over to John as though she was about to kiss him. Cameron's eyes fixed on her as she walked, and she didn't remove her eyes from Liz as she stopped a few paces short of John. "John, I don't like disagreeing with you, but this is way over our heads. I mean, time travel? I can't be real. I think Skynet's just wasting out time". Cameron couldn't have thought Liz could be in any more denial then she was now, she had saved her years ago from a machine. "Liz, wake up! Me and John saved you and your brother from that machine. It might sound crazy to someone who hasn't seen it happen, but time travel is real". Liz looked at Cameron as though she was crazy, but then her face turned in to a cruel smile.

"Excuse me, but it was John who saved me and my brother, I don't remember you being there". Both Liz and Cameron looked ready to jump at each other. John quickly stood in between them, blocking their view from one another again. Allison looked from Cameron to Liz, shocked on how close they were at fighting each other. "You'll find that she was there and that we both saved you. But if she wasn't there, you, me and your brother would be dead right now. I know you and Cameron have never seen eye to eye, but she's my wife and she's second in command, your superior officer. So show some respect and go get yourself ready. We move to Topanga canyon in one hour, go!" Liz quickly turned and walked away, a single tear falling down her cheek. Liz's dog stood up and with a single lick of thanks to Cameron's fingers, ran after Liz.

John turned to Allison, who was watching Liz leave with concern. "Allison, go make sure she's okay". Allison nodded and turning to give Cameron a kiss on the cheek before running out of the command room and after Liz. John took a seat next to Cameron, and looked around to make sure they weren't going to be overheard. "Can you remember anything from Topanga Canyon from before I sent you back"? Cameron's hand darted towards her belly and she closed her eyes for a moment, looking uncomfortable, before opening them again. "No, I fought in the battle outside. But you didn't take me inside to send Kyle back. You wanted to, but I was at the other end of the battlefield, so you went in with out me". John nodded his head but couldn't hide his disappointment. "Come on John, help me up and I'll see you off. I can't come with you this time either". She nodded her head towards her round belly and John gave her a smile before helping her up.

Almost hour later, John, with his plasma rifle in his hands, walked slowly towards the entrance of Serrano Point, where a large convoy was waiting to take him and hundreds of solders to Topanga Canyon. Cameron held on to his arm, reluctant to let him go. They stopped at the bottom of a small ramp that led up to the outside. Looking around, John could see Bedell and Lauren standing together, holding each others hands and talking quietly to each other. They noticed John and Cameron watching them, and quickly tried to look innocent, but they looked guiltier then ever. John gave a large smile, showing them he didn't care that they were in a relationship before turning to Cameron. They both opened their mouths repeatedly, trying to say something but, they both gave up and simply embraced each other passionately, running their lips softly against each others before breaking the kiss and resting their foreheads together. "Come back to me, me and the baby". John held his hand to her belly again, swearing in his mind that he would return to them both. "I'll be back, I love you". With one last kiss, John turned and walked slowly up the ramp. He waited for Bedell and Lauren to say their goodbyes before they headed up the ramp together, where Liz the solders were waiting. "So, you and Lauren. I didn't know you two even knew each other!" They both looked at each other, before both giving a long laugh. "Yeah, we've been together for a while now".

"DAD! WAIT!" John turned to see Allison run past Cameron and up the ramp towards him. Holding out his free arm, he pulled her in to a hug. "I'm not missing seeing you off this time". John took a deep breath and held it as it felt like Allison was going to suffocate him before she let him go. "Be careful dad, me and mom will run things here until you get back". John gave a smile before something caught his gaze at the bottom of the ramp. Standing up straight to get a better look, he saw Cameron and Lauren standing together. Cameron had both her hands on her belly and was breathing heavily. Then John's eyes widened in horror as Cameron collapsed, crying out in pain as she clutched her stomach. John and Allison ran back down the ramp. John beat her to the bottom a lot faster then even he thought possible. "Cameron, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Cameron couldn't respond, she was breathing so fast she couldn't get out a word". John held her hand tightly and looked to Lauren, who was checking Cameron over.

"Cameron, just keep breathing, your waters have broke, the baby's coming now". Allison gave a cry, which sounded like a mix of excitement and shock. Lauren took out her radio and held it up. "Sidney!, Cameron's in labour, get the delivery room ready and send a team to the Serrano point entrance, I don't think she can walk". John watched as Cameron managed to slow down her breathing slightly. "John, go now! You've got to go". "No, I told you I was going to be there when the baby came, no matter what". Cameron gave a loud cry, as a strong contraction gripped her. Lauren looked around and saw Allison watching, unsure on what she should be doing. "Allison, come here and hold your mom's hand, she needs you now". Allison moved and took Cameron's free hand; looking more nervous then John had ever seen her. Cameron kept telling John to go, but John refused to move.

Cameron then let go of his hand and took hold of his jacket, before pulling him towards her, so she could speak in to his ear. "Please John, just go. You have to go and send Kyle back. If you don't, you won't exist. If you don't exist, then neither will this baby. I love you but you have to go, now!" She let him go and pushed him away, just as the medical team from the aide station arrived. "John looked back up the ramp for Bedell, who was standing nervously where John had left him, unsure whether he should stay where he was or go and help Cameron. Outside, John could hear the trucks of the convoy had begun to move out. "Bedell, make sure we don't get left behind". Bedell looked relieved to be given something to do instead of just watching and he turned and ran out of the power plant.

Cameron cried out in pain again as another contraction took hold of her body. "John, go now!" John knew he had run out of time. Hating himself for breaking another promise to her, he began moving backwards up the ramp. "Allison, look after her. Cameron, I love you, I'll be back as soon as I can". With that, John turned and ran up the ramp. Once he was outside, he saw that half of the convoy was already moving away. Running for the closest truck, he took the outstretched hand of Bedell and got in, just as the truck began to move. As John sat down, Bedell took a seat next to him and held up his radio. "Liz, me and Connor are in the convoy". Liz's shaking voice came back through. "Thank god for that. I thought you two were already on, that's why I told them to start moving. Tell John I'm sorry and I'll see you two in Topanga". Bedell put his radio down and sat back.

"You hear that Connor?" John nodded his head, not paying much at attention as he looked back at the slowly disappearing power plant as the truck took him away. He didn't need this to be happening to him now. He already had to deal with sending Kyle, his father, back through time to his death. He didn't expect to have to deal with the birth of his own child at the same time, and he couldn't be there, he hated the situation he was in, as he always swore to Cameron he would be there for her when their child was born. The images of Cameron, his child, and Kyle, the man he was sending to his death flooded his mind as the convoy rapidly approached its destination.

As they neared the canyon, it was clear that General Perry had been forced to start the battle with out them. The sounds of distant explosions and plasma fire could be heard, and they became more deafening the closer they got. Looking to the men in the truck with him, he could tell that they were scared from what they could hear. John didn't blame them; he would be surprised if they weren't scared, because he was terrified of what was going to happen. "HK'S ABOVE US HIT THEM WITH THE ROCKETS!" John could barely hear the drivers voice as the sound of the engines of the aerials drowned out all other sound. John and Bedell, being at the back of the truck, were both given rocket launcher by the other men. Holding his over his shoulder, he aimed out the back of the truck and up in to the sky. John didn't know which one to fire at. He could see at least ten aerials in formation, firing down at the approaching convoy. John picked the aerial that seemed to be the closest and fired, quickly followed by Bedell. The Aerial saw John's rocket coming and moved to avoid it. Thankfully, it didn't see Bedell's and flew straight in to its path. The rocket hit its underbelly, destroying it in a large explosion. The destruction of the aerial was followed by three more as solders from the other trucks fired their own rockets, forcing the remaining aerials to break formation. Suddenly, the truck stopped moving, throwing John and Bedell off their feet and on to their backs. "What the hell? Driver, keep the truck moving!" The truck remained still however, leaving them open for attack and putting the other trucks behind them in danger, as they couldn't move forwards either.

"Bedell lets go!" John jumped out the back of the truck, quickly followed by Bedell. The driver of the truck behind them looked in surprise at seeing John jump out of a truck in the middle of a war zone, and called for John to get back in. John ignored him and ran down the side of the truck, while Bedell did the same on the other side. Opening the door, John looked inside and saw the driver was dead. The windscreen had been smashed and the driver's body was covered in glass. "Looks like he took stray plasma shot! Poor guy!" John nodded in agreement and climbed in to the truck. Bedell pulled the driver out and took his dog tag before climbing in also. "You ever drove on of these, because I haven't". John looked to the large gear stick and groaned. "I drove one years ago. I had trouble with the clutch and I ran over a machine, other than that, no". Bedell looked at him with an amused grin before leaning out of the door window and firing his plasma rifle at some drone's which had just appeared with some more aerials. John pressed his foot down, and the truck's engine stalled. Shaking his head, he turned the key in the ignition and tried again, and met with the same result. "I'd hurry up if I were you Connor, we've got serious incoming". John looked and saw an aerial flying straight for them. He thought back and remembered what Sarah had told him when he was in this same situation years before.

"Step on the clutch, Hard! If your goanna be a hero, you need to learn how to drive". Giving a smile as he heard Sarah's words in his head, he started the truck again and this time, he managed to move it, and successfully began to drive the truck. Bedell gave a triumphant cheer as they avoided the aerial flying at them. John moved the truck quickly to catch up with the rest of the convoy, which they did in a matter of minutes. For another hour, the convoy pressed forwards to the war zone, until they arrived at a small camp. The camps anti aircraft guns and plasma turrets were firing wildly at the machines nearby. As John stopped the truck and stepped out, the rumbling sounds of the tanks and aerials were enough to make him deaf. "Bedell, find out where the forward command post is!" Bedell nodded and disappeared in to the crowd of solders, running in all directions. John looked over to the remains of an old yellow school bus, and at least twelve medics trying desperately to save the lives of dozens of solders who were lying on stretchers. Not to far from them, was a large pill of body bags, and they were all full. Tearing his eyes away from the body bags, he watched as resistance solders lay on top of a small hill nearby and were firing rapidly and the advancing machines. He could see the top parts of the tanks over the hill, and knew that T six hundreds and T eight hundreds were marching with them. "JOHN! OVER HERE!"

John looked back around and saw Liz waving at him from a small tunnel entrance. Running over, Liz lead him inside and along the crowed tunnel, where there were medics working on minor wounds on solders and a large forwards command computer had been set up. The solder sitting there was using it to control the anti aircraft guns, and was busy targeting the many aerials and hundreds of drones in the sky. They came to a small room off from the tunnel. Inside, Perry and his command staff were standing over many computers which had been set up. "Connor, about time. We could use your help". John lowered his plasma rifle on to an empty table before turning back to Perry. "Ok, what's the situation?" Parry shook his head and looked up to the ceiling as it shook in the midst of a loud explosion outside. "Not good sir. The machines must have known we were coming. They've been pounding us ever since we've arrived. We haven't managed to move forwards and we're close to being surrounded. I recommended that we retreat sir, we can't win this one".

John shook his head, causing Perry to shake his in frustration. "We can't go Perry; this is a code nine situation. We have to stay and take that base". A code nine situation was known only Tech com leaders. It meant that the mission was critical to the survival of the resistance due to a time travel situation. Perry was one of the few who knew of its importance. Perry immediately moved to one of his men and got his attention. "Tell the squad captains to prepare to more forwards. They wait for Connor's order". The solder nodded and disappeared in to the tunnel. "Are you sure its code nine?" John nodded and so did Liz as Perry looked to her for reassurance. "Great! Our first code nine and we're loosing already. Things are looking great". John and Liz both gave a smile as they had never heard Perry speak sarcastically before. John turned just as Bedell and Kyle walked in to the room, and was glad to see Kyle was in one piece. John and Kyle stared at each other briefly before giving each other a nod. The room shook violently again, so much so that two people, including Liz were thrown off their feet and too the floor and one of the computers fell to the floor and smashed. John held out his hand and helped Liz back to her feet, before turning to Perry, who was again shaking his head while looking at another computer screen. "Connor. There are more machines in front of us then there was at Serrano Point.

There's even more to our right and let". He looked back up to John, and looked like he wanted to retreat again. "It's your call Connor but I'd make it quick". "I already have. We're attacking; everything depends on us taking that base. Activate all of our machines and send them to the front". Everyone in the room froze and went silent; John knew none of them liked what he wanted. "Connor, we've used the machines for recons and patrols. We've never used so many all at once on the same battlefield. If they turn on us, we're not going to be able to deal with them". John had already picked up his plasma rifle and was walking for the door. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Get our machines on the field now. Bedell, Kyle, your with me, let's move". John left the room, closely followed by Kyle and Bedell, and walked through the tunnel. As he went, the solders all stopped what they were doing to salute him, much to his annoyance but he gave small nods in return, before reaching the opening and stepped back outside.

Taking out a pair of binoculars, he held them up to his eyes and looked over the battlefield. His solders were using the remains of old buildings as cover as they moved forwards to counter the advancing machines. Most of the machines were t eight hundreds, firing once with every step they took. Behind them were the HK tanks, their large plasma turrets firing continues bursts at the solders. John watched as two of his men were hit and killed while running for cover. HK aerials were also there, covering the tanks and attacking Resistance trucks. One aerial chased a truck with a mounted plasma turret on the back, and both the man on the turret and the machine in the air exchanged fire for a few moments, before the aerial scored a direct hit, overturning the truck and killing both the driver and gunner. Another truck appeared near the one that was destroyed and the solder on the back first a single rocket towards the aerial. The rocket hit one of the machines engines and the machine came crashing down, being engulfed in a large fireball seconds later. Lowering his binoculars, John took hold of his rifle and glanced to Bedell and Kyle, who like him, both looked eager to join the battle. John however was more eager to join the battle, he wanted to get it over and down with as soon as possible so he could get back to Serrano Point, and to Cameron. They all gave a nod before running forwards towards the frontline.

As they ran, solders that were waiting for orders from Perry to move saw John, Bedell and Kyle run forwards. John could hear them saying. 'That's Connor, John Connor'. They all seemed surprised that John would put himself in such a dangerous situation. They watched in awe as he ran forwards, and he, Bedell and Kyle, opened fire on three T eight hundreds, which had just appeared from the remains of an old house. They took down all three machines before they could fire their own rifles, before John and the others took cover next to an old brick wall. Looking over the top, they could see more solders in the middle of a heavy fire fight with a large group of advancing machine. The fight wasn't going well, as the solders were being forced back under the constant barrage of plasma fire. John, Bedell and Kyle rose up together and fired at once, taking the machines by surprise. This gave the solders a chance return fire without being fired upon, and the machines were all destroyed. As the fire fight ended, a single rocket flew past them, hitting the ground in front of an advancing HK tank.

The explosions were enough to stop the tank moving, but not to destroy it. John stood up and climbed over the wall and joined the solders that he had just saved. The captain of the group nodded his head in thanks before realising who John was, where his eyes widened in shock before he turned back to his men. John waved for Kyle and Bedell to follow, which they did, taking their places on either side of him. "Connor, calm down, you're going to get yourself killed. If you fall, we all fall!" Bedell looked furious that John was putting his life on the line, and forced John down to the ground, just as an HK tank began firing at them. They were now pinned down. John looked to see Kyle was working with one of the solders in readying a rocket launcher to fire at the tank. Suddenly, a T eight hundred appeared behind them, its red eyes focussed on Kyle. "KYLE!" The machine fired first, killing the solder holding the rocket launcher and then aimed towards Kyle, who had only just noticed it was there. John fired quickly to protect his father, hitting the machine twice in the head, leaving nothing there. The now headless machine fell to the ground with a bang and lay still. Kyle looked around to John and gave a nod of thanks before taking the rocket launcher from the dead solder.

"I'll take out the tank, cover me!" John nodded and turned to Bedell and the others. "Alright guys, cover Kyle while he moves in to position, we need this tank destroyed". Kyle looked at John, waiting for a signal to move. "Three, two, one, GO!" John, Bedell and the other solders are stood up from the hiding place and fired at the numerous nearby T eight hundreds. The T eight hundreds ruptured fire and the fire fight quickly became a stalemate. In the commotion, Kyle disappeared from sight. John and Bedell were forced to the ground again, as six of the men with them were killed by the machines. Other then John and Bedell, only three others now remained. "Sir, we can't stay here, we need to fall back". John was already in agreement, but then, behind the machines firing at them, the HK tank exploded, taking an HK aerial with it. There was a loud cheer from all around them as the largest machine in front of them was now destroyed.

Before John could move forwards again, Liz's voice came shouting through the radio. "John! Perry's activated our machines. All of them are on the field now". John and Bedell looked behind them to see thirty T eight hundreds they had captured and reprogrammed marching towards him, in a two by two formation. "I see them Liz". John lowered his radio and watched as the machines stopped only a few paces from him. He couldn't help be feel a little intimidated by them, as all of their red eyes fixed on him. The lead two machines together took a step forwards and then they spoke in union, using the same Austrian accent that the 'Uncle Bob' terminator used. "We have been programmed to follow your orders, John Connor". Despite their words, Bedell and the others didn't lower their rifle, as their hatred and fear kept them from trusting the machine. Even John refused to lessen his grip on his rifle, as he knew they could turn on him at any moment. "I need you to secure the area ahead of us. Clear Skynet's machines and give us a clear path to the base, do it as quickly as possible". "Affirmative". John and Bedell watched as the machines marched quickly passed them and got to work. John looked to Bedell, who shook his head.

"It's strange seeing them fighting for us, it's not right". John nodded, knowing what he was feeling. "I don't like it any more then you do, but it's necessary". Explosions were already being heard behind the remains of the tank, the machines were indeed, quick and effective. "John, pick up, I need to talk to you". John held up his radio. "What is it Liz?" "The base!, it's powering up. It looks like Skynet is activating the machine earlier then it planned". John looked up and saw that the reprogrammed machines were already clearing the way to the base, leaving the remains of many T six hundreds and T eight hundreds lying on the ground behind them. "Liz, send out everyone we've got, if we don't take that base, we are dead, we are all dead!" John lowered his radio and charged forwards, along with Bedell and the squad that was with them.

He didn't now what he was doing now, it was stupid. He was charging forwards blindly at hundreds, maybe thousands of machines. He tried to force all thoughts of fear and doubt out of his mind and he focussed on Cameron. Remembering her was the source of his strength, and he wasn't going to let her down. He was going to do what he needed to do and get back to her as quickly as possible. They were quickly rejoined by Kyle, who discarded his now empty rocket launcher and dozens of men from all directions joined the charge forwards. Raising his rifle, John fired at as many machines as he could see. One after the other, Skynet's machines were over whelmed by the seer amount of plasma fire from Resistance rifles. The reprogrammed machines took care of large groups, while John, Bedell and Kyle led the others in attacking the smaller groups of machines. HK aerials and drones flew in from all sides to try and push the Resistance back, but most were shot down before they could fire more then a few shots. As John ran forwards, he could tell that everyone was making an effort to keep up with him, refusing to loose sight of him. John eventually stopped and knelt at the top of a small hill, overlooking a small valley within the canyon.

"Connor! Connor, are you alright?" John took a deep breath and took out his radio. "I'm fine, I'm still here". "You've smashed Skynet's defence grid, we're through their lines. I'm directing men to secure the area, but you should have a clear run to the base now". John looked around to Kyle, who pointed to some rubble and a lot of dead trees. "That's the base, I think it leads underground". John nodded and then looked to Bedell. "Bedell, take these men and secure the area down there, move quickly". Bedell nodded and immediately set to work. "Kyle, stay here". Kyle had already started after Bedell, but he moved back and knelt next to John, who held up his radio again. "Liz, you and Perry, get yourselves here now, once the areas secure, we're going in". There was a moments silence before Liz responded. "Okay, we're moving out now; we'll be there in ten minutes". She didn't sound enthusiastic at all about leaving the safety of the forward command post. John and Kyle moved down to the base slowly, and as he stood at the locked entrance, he saw how unimpressive it looked. It seemed to be noting more then a simple research base, but he knew better. John set to work on hacking to controls and opening the door, as Kyle pointed out they would need a nuclear bomb to blow the doors open.

Ten minutes later, Liz and Perry arrived. Perry looked pleased by the sudden turn of events, while Liz looked like she was going to throw up. "Connor, the machines are surrounding us again!" "Then send ours to stop them". John was paying more attention to getting the doors open then anything else. Liz walked past him and pressed her hand held PDA to the door. "John, the power levels are through the roof, and it's still growing". John knew that if he wanted to stop the machine going back in time altogether, he had to hurry. Crossing the final wires, the doors began to slowly open. "Perry, your staying out here, keep Skynet from retaking the area". Perry nodded and quickly turned and began directing the solders to move. John then turned to the rest of the group. "Liz, Bedell, Kyle, your with me". John then took a squad of ten solders and two reprogrammed machines with him as they entered the base. The two t eight hundreds led the way, their red eyes able to see better then anyone else could. Before they could take a few steps, they all heard a strange sound coming through the base. No one but John knew what it was; it was the time displacement equipment at work. John ran forwards towards the sound, which was coming from the corridor on his left.

John ran as fast as he could, closely followed by the others. There was a single room at the end and with out thinking, John threw himself in to it and forced it open. John was instantly staring down the barrels of two T eight hundreds. Before he could do anything, he was pushed to the floor. "Get down!" One of the reprogrammed machines moved itself to shield John and took the plasma shots for him. The other machine quickly took its place and exchanged fire, destroying the other machines quickly. Liz, Bedell and Kyle entered the room and Bedell helped John to his feet. "Connor, that's the last time we let you do that. If you don't calm down, you are going to get yourself killed". John ignored him, what he needed to do was far more important then his own life. There was a single door leading off from the room, and that's where the sound was coming from. "Get the door open, quickly!"

The other reprogrammed machine did as it was told and moved to the door. The machine reached out to grab the door, but as it touched it, the machine was thrown back to the floor by a massive electric shock, the door having been rigged. The machines red eyes ceased to glow as its circuitry was destroyed by the voltage. John, frustrated by the machine's failure, resisted the urge to punch the wall. "John, hold on, I think I can open the shutter". Liz moved from computer to computer before finding what she was looking for, the shutter open and showed them a circular room. In the centre, was the machine that haunted his mother's nightmares for years. The machine that looked identical to the one which was sent to protect him when he was just a kid looked up and stared at the group watching it. The sphere of blue light had already begun to form around it and with out warning, the machine knelt down and disappeared in a flash of light, nearly blinding John and the others.

After the light disappeared, John looked in to the room, sadness and regret filling him, because he knew what was going to happen next. The only sound in the room was Liz, who was muttering to herself as she worked on the computers. "John, it's been sent back to 1984. It's being sent to kill Sarah Connor, your mother!". "I know. Without her, I can never exist. The war would never happen because I wouldn't be there to start it". There was another long silence, before John turned around to face the group; he tried not to look at Kyle, who was standing to the back of the room. "I need someone to go back". There was another long silence and most of the group looked away. "I'll do it sir, I'll go back". He knew it was Kyle before he even opened his mouth. This time he looked up to Kyle, and could see that if he wanted to talk him out if it, he would be wasting his time. "Are you sure? Do you understand that there is no way back?". "Yes sir, I'll go back, and I'll protect her. I know the risk and I also know that if you're not here to lead us, we will never have a chance of winning this war". John gave a nod and took a deep breath, before turning to the other men in the room. "You all go and secure our way back out". They left quickly, holding their rifles tightly in their grip. Once they were gone, John next turned to Liz. "You've got the computers in front of you; get the machine ready to send Kyle back". "You can't be serious….".

"I am serious Liz, just do it." John then moved towards the door, back in to the corridor, and instructed Kyle to follow, leaving Liz and Bedell alone in the room. Once in the corridor, he turned to Kyle, thinking of a hundred ways to tell him who he was, that he was his father, but everything that came to him, sounded just as crazy as the last. "When you go back, find my mother and make sure she survives. She won't believe you and will think your crazy at first, but she'll come round eventually". Kyle nodded his head, and for the first time, he looked nervous. "I need you to give her a message for me; you'll know when the time comes to tell her". Kyle again nodded, "I will sir, I promise, what's the message?" "John closed his eyes and remembered the words of the message that Kyle gave him mother and his mother told him. "Thank you, Sarah, for your courage through the dark years. I can't help you with what you must soon face, except to say that the future is not set. You must be stronger than you imagine you can be. You must survive, or I will never exist". Kyle looked taken aback, so John repeated the message. He did so three times until Kyle could remember it word for word. Liz came in to the corridor, shaking her head.

"John, it's ready, but do you have to send Kyle back, can you send someone else?" John shook his head and Liz began to cry. "I'm going to miss you". She flung her arms around Kyle, who patted her gently on the back. They separated and Kyle then turned to John. "We've come a long way since we sat on out little hill in warehouse seventeen. Just promise me this John, keep fighting and don't stop until we've won". John held out his hand and shook his father's hand. "You have my word". Letting go of each others hand, John led them both back in to the room, where Bedell was waiting for them. Bedell and Kyle shook hands and said their goodbyes as Kyle stepped in to the circular room. "Kyle! Wait, your rifle, you can't take anything with you, the machine generates a living field so nothing dead will go". Kyle didn't understand what John had just said, and neither did Bedell or Liz, who just stared at him. Kyle then handed his plasma rifle over and moved in to the middle of the room, and waited for the inevitable to happen. John moved to the controls and saw the word, 'Execute' next to a red button. He looked up to Kyle and pressed the button. John, Liz and Bedell watched as the blue sphere slowly began to form around Kyle and with a flash of light, John saw Kyle disappear from view. When the light died down, John stared at the spot where his father had been standing, and a single tear fell down his face. John turned away and moved himself out of earshot of Liz and Bedell. Closing his eyes, he muttered two words, "Goodbye dad".

Half an hour later, John walked slowly back towards the Resistance forward command post. Bedell and Liz walked slowly behind him. There were no more sounds of battle around them, as Skynet withdrew its remaining machines from the area. The solders around him all cheered and shouted his name, but unlike their victory at Serrano Point, John didn't feel like celebrating. He walked straight in to the forwards command post and found a chair. Sitting down, he rested his head in his hands, and tried to come to terms with what had just happened. Kyle Reese, his father was now gone. He had met him and gotten to know him, just like his mother told him he would do, but now, he was gone, and this time, there was no looking forwards to seeing him again, as he was dead, both in the past and in the present. Everyone in the room seemed to sense his distress and left him alone to his thoughts. John could hear Bedell telling Perry what had happened. "John!" He heard Liz calling his name, and he slowly raised his head. She was holding her radio in her hand. "I think I know something which will cheer you up!" John shook his head, and felt a surge of anger at Liz, but resisted the urge to shout at her. He wanted to be left alone, now more then ever.

"Liz, just leave me alone, believe me, there's nothing in this world that can cheer me up right now". Liz ignored him and turned her radio on and everyone in the room fell silent, as the sound of a crying baby echoed through the room. John froze and stared at the radio and felt all his anger, hate and regret of losing his father leave him in an instant. "Dad? Dad, are you there?" John raised his shaking hand and took the radio from Liz, who stepped back and stared at him. "Allison? I'm here". John waited for a reply, and every second he did wait, felt like an eternity. "Dad, it's a boy, a beautiful boy, you've got a son and he looks just like you". John fixed his eyes on the floor, avoiding the smiling faces of those around him. He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. He was hearing his son crying. After all that time of thinking they could never have children of their own, they now had their own child. Half laughing and half crying himself, he held the radio back up. "I'm coming home; I'll be back as soon as possible". "Okay, dad, hurry up though, you've got to see him". John looked up to Liz, who had a large grin on her face. "I need to get back to Serrano point". "I'm already way ahead of you; you'll be on your way in five minutes". Liz quickly left the room and John sat back in his chair. Bedell stood next to him, and gave him a firm pat on the back. "Congratulations Connor".

The journey back to Serrano Point was the longest in John's life. In his eyes, the convoy was moving so slowly, it was like they were going a quarter of a mile an hour. Though that wasn't the case, the feeling was intoxicating for John, who tried to ignore the sounds of pain from the others on the convoy, most of them being wounded. He tried to pass the time by talking to them. Most had spend a long time harbouring a desire to meet the great John Connor, and he thought it would be better for him and them, to have someone to talk too, considering he didn't expect many of them to survive their wounds. Along the way, HK aerials and drones attacked the convoy constantly, but John and the others fought them off. As Serrano point finally came in to view, John gave a sigh of relief. The convoy stopped and John jumped out of the truck. He spotted Lauren and Allison amongst dozens of medics waiting for them. "Dad!" Allison threw herself at John, nearly throwing him to the ground. "Dad, mom's in aide station six, you better go and see her".

She kissed him on the cheek before running to help the wounded with Lauren. Lauren turned to him and gave him a wide smile as before he walked quickly down the ramp in to the power plant. He avoided the gazes of civilians as he passed them, not caring that he was still wearing full battle gear and holding his plasma rifle. John quickly found aide station six and stepped inside. All the beds were full, and everyone in them was asleep. There was only one medic in the room, and as he looked closer, he saw that it was Sidney. She spotted him and with out words, she pointed to the far end of the room, before checking the man in the nearest bed, checking his wounds. John walked quickly to the end of the room, where a single bed was hidden from view by a screen. John, taking a long deep breath, moved in to view and looked to the bed. Cameron was lying up against some pillows, and in her arms, was their son. She was gently rocking him from side to side as he slept. John moved forwards and Cameron looked up, a fixed smile on her face.

Neither of them said anything as John sat on the bed next to her and wrapped his arm around her. He looked down at his son, and he knew that other than his wife, he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Words couldn't describe what he was feeling. "What are we going to call him?" John looked up to Cameron, who gave him an even bigger smile. "I've already named him". John froze slightly and opened his mouth to argue, but Cameron stopped him by kissing him passionately, taking both their breaths away. Breaking the kiss, Cameron turned back down to their son. "His name is Kyle. After his grandfather. Kyle John Connor". John couldn't help but smile and agree with her completely. "You don't know how much I love you right now". He pulled her in to another kiss, refusing to allow her any control over it. Breaking the kiss, Cameron couldn't help but give a small laugh. "I think I do know, because I love you, just the same". They both looked down to their son, and John reached out to his hand and touched Kyle's hand softly.

The sleeping child instantly gripped his father's finger firmly giving John a large smile. The whole day had been a huge mixture of emotion for John. He had one on hand just lost his father; he had sent him back through time to his death. The whole concept of his father being younger than himself and travelling back through time to protect his mother was mind blowing and enough to drive anyone insane. But John had remained strong and had not allowed himself to reveal the true nature of his relationship to Kyle as he knew that that information could have jeopardised the whole future of the human race and his own existence.

On the other had, here was his wife with his newborn son, the most amazing thing John had ever seen, now bearing the name of his grandfather, whom he would never know. John was torn with the devastation of the loss of Kyle Reese, his friend, his father and the elation of the impossible becoming possible with his wife presenting him with his son, Kyle John Conner. As John gazed adoringly at his son, Kyle sighed and opened an eye and looked directly at his father and John couldn't help but shed a tear of joy, for Kyle's eyes were brown, chocolate brown, like his mothers. Baby Kyle oblivious to everything, closed his eye and slept once more, under the loving gaze of his parents, John and Cameron.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Cameron stood with her arms folded next to the window, standing in complete silence, not letting a single sound of frustration or anger become loud enough for the solders to hear. As every second became a minute and the minutes became hours, the frustration within her grew and grew the longer she was away from her son. Cameron had never fully understood human emotions, and likely never would and she knew John nor anyone else fully understood them either, they were just there and just happened. Emotions were part of humanity and the prime factor on showing who you truly were. To Cameron, what her body and emotions were telling her, was that she missed her family. She missed John, her husband, she missed Allison, her adopted daughter and she missed Kyle, her four month old son. She had been gone only three days and was supposed to be gone only two, but here she was, still standing at the window. It didn't matter how hard or how many times she tried, the more she tried to focus on the task at hand, images of those three kept forcing their way before her eyes.

Just outside the window and along the road, were the remains of union station, and that was what Cameron's eyes were fixed on. The Resistance had learnt that after their victory in the battle of Topanga canyon, Skynet began designing a new series of machines, to replace the highly successful, but now failing T eight hundred series. Not even Cameron knew what the T nine hundreds looked like, as she was sent back before they ever existed. John and Cameron knew how effective the T eight hundreds were, and even the T six hundreds were still a challenge to take down, so the T nine hundreds were definitely going to be more fearsome, challenging and dangerous. That was the reason Cameron was here, watching union station, as the station had been taking over and was now being used as a factory. This was where the first T nine hundreds were being build and where they were being tested. Cameron was here to capture one of the new machines and being it back to Serrano point, so they could find out the best ways to fight them. Now, as Cameron watched, she debated furiously in her mind. One part of her, wanted to give up and go home, back to John, Allison and Kyle. The other part, wanted to stay and wait, wait for the machines that seemed to never come.

But then something happened. A rumbling sound could be heard and it steadily got louder and the building Cameron and the solders were hiding in began to shake. An HK tank slowly came in to view from though the buildings, closely followed by a second, then a third and finally a forth. Two by two, they moved straight for the factory, crushing everything in their path, be it a small building or an old car. Everything was crushed beneath their large tank like tracks that carried them forwards. Cameron looked around and spotted a pair of binoculars on the table. Taking them and moving back to the window, she brushed her soft brown hair out of her eyes and held the binoculars to them. The tanks stopped before the factory and seconds later, the huge doors, much like bulkheads, began to open. As they did, a bright red light began to shine through the opening, and the light reflected off the silver metal of the tanks, making the surrounding area glow with red light. Cameron felt a shiver move up her spine and didn't try to deny that the sight scared her, despite the fact that she was originally built in a similar place. But back then, she was a machine, with a prime directive, to kill John Connor, nothing more.

Now, Cameron was human, she was flesh and blood with emotions and a love so strong for the man she was originally built to kill, and she would rather die then give that up. Cameron shuddered at the memories and forced herself to concentrate on her mission. Through the doors of the factory, machines began to move out, walking in perfect union with one another. She could hear their steps echoing through the night, and so could everyone else there with her. "Jones! Barrera! Get to your positions, charge the EMP!" Cameron didn't adjust her focus as her orders were obeyed and the men and women behind her grabbed their weapons and began to move. Cameron couldn't see the machines clearly, but at least a hundred of them stepped out from the factory, before they stopped in front of the tanks. The factory doors slowly began to close behind them and as it did, the red glow began to fade from the area, returning it to the natural darkness as it closed.

Then, two of the tanks began to move towards the south, right past their position in the building. The one hundred machines began marching after the tanks and the other two tanks followed them. Cameron lowered the binoculars and grabbed her rifle, priming it and only then realising how nervous she was. Taking a deep breath, she raised her left hand and kissed the brown string on her finger as a holy man would kiss a crucifix. But she wasn't kissing to show her love for God, which she and most others didn't believe in, she kissed her ring for her love for John, and her love for her children, Allison and Kyle.

Cameron then, with one last glance out of the window, turned and walked down the stairs at the other end of the room and she made her way outside. Crouching down, she made her way to the large pile of rubble in the middle of the street, lying down next to her solders waiting in ambush. The ground once again began to shake as the large tanks approached their position. Cameron peered over the top of her cover, and watched as the machines moved slowly towards them. Turning to her right, she saw one of her men was working with the EMP device, before he looked up to her. "The EMP's ready, ma'am". "Not yet! Wait until I say". The solder nodded his head and Cameron tuned to watch the machines again. The first two tanks moved past their position, making Cameron feel so small as it did. The tanks blocked out what little moonlight there was, drowning them all in darkness. Cameron peered over the top as the one hundred machines came in to view. At first, Cameron was surprised, as the first ones she saw were T six hundreds and T eight hundreds.

But then she saw what they were waiting for, the T nine hundred. There were only twenty of them, but Cameron could clearly see that they were far more advanced then anything Skynet had built before. Unlike the T eight hundreds, its battle chassis was completely covered with hyperalloy armour. Cameron bet that a T eight hundred would have a hard time to put even the smallest dent in it. As Cameron has had experience in fighting machines and the fact that she used to be one, she could tell by observation alone that the T nine hundreds were twice as fast, strong and durable then the T eight hundreds ever were. Cameron held up her radio, "I count twenty T nine hundreds, confirm?" Cameron waited until both Jones and Barrera had confirmed their were twenty of them before she turned to the solder next to her and nodded her head, and the solder pressed his hand over the switch, nodding in return. "Everyone, turn your electronic equipment off now!" Cameron spoke in little more then a whisper, but the sudden scurrying of solders turning off the radios told her that they heard her words. Cameron waited until the machines were right in front of them, before she turned again to the solder. "Now!" With a flick of the switch, a large shockwave was thrown outwards.

As soon as the shockwave hit the machines, they shuddered and eventually fell to the ground, where they twitched violently and eventually stopped moving, their glowing red eyes turning to black. The tanks, both in front and behind the formation of machines, all stopped moving. Their plasma cannons aimed wildly in all directions for a few moments before stopping altogether. All the machines were now disabled. Cameron gave a sigh of relief. She had purposely positioned herself only a few feet from the EMP machine, which ensured her chip wouldn't suffer damage from the blast. There were sounds of laughter and cheers from the solders as their mission was a success.

Captain Jones suddenly sprung from his hiding place and moved to the nearest machine, giving it a firm kick. "Ha! Useless metal shit. Come on! Let's get what we came for". Seeing that the machines were indeed disabled, most of the solders quickly followed Jones, and they moved through the fallen machines. Cameron didn't follow them, but instead watched from her cover. "Is everything alight ma'am?" Cameron turned to see who spoke. Captain Barrera stood watching her, and behind him were six men, the only ones who didn't join Jones in the field. Turning back, she shook her head. "Something's wrong. This is too easy, way too easy". Barrera moved himself next to her and looked over the rubble, shaking his head. "I don't see anything wrong….wait a second". Barrera stood up straight, getting a better view. "Oh shit! The T nine hundreds look!"

Cameron looked up and saw the T nine hundreds had begun to move, slowly at first. Jones and the others out there all stood still in terror as the machines got to their feet. The one closest to Jones seemed to be confused on what had just happened but then its eyes fixed on Jones. With a swift swing of its arm, Jones's head fell to the floor, quickly followed by his body. Within a second, screams of terror could be heard, as one by one, more solders were felled before they could even consider raising their rifle's, or even run for it. "EMP! NOW!" Cameron turned to see one of the solders with her panicking to press the switch. He eventually did so, sending out another shockwave. The T nine hundreds shuddered again as the wave hit them, but then they continued moving normally again. Cameron quickly realised that the machines were simulating being offline, so the solders would reveal their positions and be lured in to a false sense of security. Cameron watched as the T nine hundreds quickly finished off the other solders, killing them all.

There were now only eight of them left. Cameron and Barrera both fired at the nearest machine, hitting it numerous times, but every plasma shot proved futile, as they merely left a black mark on the machines armour. These new T nine hundreds were immune to EMP bursts and now it seemed, were also highly resistant to plasma fire. Cameron quickly knew that if they didn't get out of there, she and the others would be killed. "Fall back!" Cameron turned and ran after Barrera and the other solders and back in to the building. They passed the stairs and moved to the back of the building, out in to the old ally outside. The screams from their fallen comrades had drawn the attention from other machines in the near by area, and now, aerials were in the air, their spotlights scanning the ground, looking for them. Cameron ducked to avoid one of the lights from finding her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Barrera next to her. "We have to get you out of here". Barrera then turned to the surviving men. "We need to get Connor out of here, it's critical she survives, let's go". Cameron looked confused for a second as when the name Connor was used, it was usually meant for John, but then she remembered, she was a Connor as well.

Cameron gave a sigh of dismay of how quickly things have gotten out of hand. Only minutes ago, they were over thirty in number and had just wiped out most of the machines. Now, they were running for their lives, and there were only eight of them left. As the spotlights began scanning elsewhere, the group moved quickly along the old ally, keeping themselves in the shadows as much as possible, but making sure they could keep their speed up. Cameron knew the T nine hundreds were following then, she could feel it. She gazed back as she ran, and she indeed saw three of them exit the building they were in and step out in to the alley, where their gaze found the group running and they quickly followed. Cameron glanced back a second time, and to her horror, the T nine hundreds were close behind them, and each one had a two plasma rifles in their hands. Cameron quickly veered left in to another building, forcing the others to follow in the same direction, off the route they came from in the first place. It was just in time for all but two of them, as the machines all fired their rifles. The two men at the back of the group fell to the ground with a scream as they were hit numerous times by plasma fire. The other machines fired and missed as the group managed to get inside. Their shots hit the already weak concrete wall, shattering it and sending debris everywhere. A rouge piece hit Cameron on the side of her head, nearly knocking her off her feet.

Clasping her free hand to her head, she felt some of her blood flow between her fingers. Trying to ignore the pain she kept running. The rest of the team ran out of the other end of the building and moved as fast as they could. "Wait, wait! Stop, they're not following us!" Cameron stopped and turned to look back, and true to Barrera's words, the T nine hundreds were no where in sight. "Do you think we lost them?" Barrera looked to Cameron for answers, but she was none the wiser then he was. "I don't think so, but we need to keep moving". Cameron turned and spotted a large hole in the ground and upon closer inspection, saw it lead in to the sewers. Looking up, the HK aerials were still searching for them. Knowing it would be safer underground, Cameron instructed the group to follow her and they moved into the sewer system. Barrera took the lead, making sure the coast was clear before they moved forwards. They were suddenly standing in a large Cavan, nearly a hundred feet in length, with a single tunnel entrance at the other end, leading in to the sewers, and the first thing anyone them saw, were dozens of bodies. Using their flashlights, they shone them on the bodies and saw that most of them were women and children.

Cameron looked away from them, trying to push the images out of her head. She instantly thought of her own children, Allison and Kyle. Barrera knelt next to one of the body's, which was holding on to an old plasma rifle and pulled a dog tag from around a man's neck. "Omega bunker used to be about a mile from here. I think this was one of their escape routes. Not much as an escape though, we only ever found six survivors". Cameron slowly moved through the bodies and found a crate, being held on to by one of the dead soldiers. Cameron opened it and found C4 explosives, ready to be used. Barrera and the other four soldiers had already begun to move towards the tunnel. "Wait! We can't go until we capture a T nine hundred!" They all stopped and looked at her as though she were mad. "No Offence Connor, but those things just wiped out our entire squad in about ten seconds, and their pretty much immune to anything we can throw at them". Cameron took one of the C4 explosives and held it up. "I know, and that's why we need the capture one. We're going to use these. We'll plant them at the entrance here, draw one of them in and detonate. It should be damaged enough for me to remove its chip".

Barrera shook his head before grinning at her and nodding at the other soldiers and they all turned around. "You're just as crazy as your husband!" Cameron handed out all of the C4 and they were carefully planted at the entrance back outside and Barrera volunteered to lure the machines inside. Cameron and the four remaining solders took cover at the entrance in to sewers and watched as Barrera disappeared as he walked outside. Cameron felt just as nervous as she did earlier when they were waiting for the machines to leave the factory. She once again tried to remain focussed, and tried to push the thoughts of not seeing her husband, son and daughter again from her mind. Suddenly, Barrera reappeared heaving for breath. Close behind him, was a T nine hundred. Cameron raised the detonator and waited until the last possible moment for Barrera to get clear of the C4 before she pressed the button. The resulting explosion was immense. The already unstable cavern shook violently and began to collapse. Cameron and the four soldiers dived to the ground and held their hands over their heads as the blast send debris flying in every direction.

As the blast subsided, Cameron was the first to rise. She looked over the top of her now mostly destroyed cover and looked around using her flashlight to see through the darkness. Both Barrera and the T nine hundred had disappeared. Cameron heard the groans of the soldiers near her and upon seeing that they were half buried beneath the rubble, quickly moved to dig them out. Cameron was relived to see that all four were alive but were badly bruised. "We'll be alright, we can still walk". That was all they said to her as they helped each other to their feet and took their plasma rifles, using the flashlights on the end of them to see. Cameron wiped some of the dust from her arms and face before beginning her search for the Barrera and the machine. "Barrera! Can you hear me?" There was no reply, and Cameron feared the worst, she had killed him, she killed a human, something she hoped she would never do again. "Fan out, keep your eyes open!" The four soldiers began to move but the Cavan was almost completely gone now, they barely moved ten feet in every direction before they covered half of what was left. "Over here!" Cameron quickly turned and moved towards the source of the sound, which came from the other end. Upon arrival, one of the soldiers was kneeling next to Barrera, who has nearly completely berried beneath the rocks. The solder had his fingers on Barrera's wrist, checking for a pulse.

"He's alive, but only just, we have to get his to an aide station". Something caught Cameron's eye only a few feet from her. She raised her flashlight and saw the head of the T nine hundred through the rubble. "You stay here and dig him out; I'm going to get the chip". Cameron moved towards the T nine hundred, whose red eyes still glowed in the dark. Cameron knelt down next to it and the machine turned its head slightly to stare at her. She could tell the machine was trying to fight its way free, but the weight off the rubble on top of it was keeping it from moving, and because it was mostly buried, Cameron couldn't tell how much damage it had suffered from the explosion. Lowering her rifle to the ground, she reached in to her pocket and took out her knife, and the machine began to struggle furiously to get free. Its CPU port was basically the same as a T eight hundreds was, just more tightly secure. It took Cameron a good five minutes before she managed to open the port. As she took hold of the chip, the T nine hundred spoke, using its cold computer generated voice. "You're Cameron Connor, wife of John Connor! Know this; this world belongs to us now. We'll hunt you all down, until your extinct".

Cameron tilted her head to the side and looked in to its red eyes, before saying in a clam but firm voice, "Yes, I'm Cameron Connor, and you're terminated!" Cameron turned the chip and removed it and the machine instantly powered down. Cameron held the chip up in her fingers and saw that it was far more advanced then the T eight hundreds were, and knew John would have a hard time finding what he needs on it to find the solution to destroying these new machines easily. Cameron pocketed the chip and returned to her men, who had just finished digging a now conscious Barrera from the rubble. "Connor, did it work? Did the plan work?" Cameron nodded her head and was glad to see he was smiling. "That's good. We might have a chance now. If I don't make it, I just want you to know it's been an honour to serve with you, I'd gladly do it again, providing I don't have to lure more machines in to a trap entirely made up of C4 explosives!" His words brought a smile to all their faces, and Cameron now felt slightly better. Though the cost was high, as many good man and women had died that night, they had got what they needed and with it, they could hopefully find the means to save thousands more.

It took only one radio call to John for him to send a squad of soldiers to bring Cameron and the survivors back safety to Serrano point. It was a common rule through out the resistance that no one was to be left behind and that rule was strictly enforced. When the soldiers at Serrano point heard that Cameron Connor was in need of rescue behind enemy lines, not one soldier didn't step forward and volunteer to be part of the rescue team. As the truck carrying her stopped in front of Serrano Point, Cameron stepped out and instantly fell in to the loving embrace of John, and for the first time since leaving days earlier, Cameron felt safe again.

"Never again Cameron, you're not going anywhere ever again. You don't know how worried I've been". Cameron didn't have any intention of letting go of John, just taking in the warm loving feeling he was giving her. John and Cameron then kissed as if they had been separated form each other for years again. After what seemed like an eternity, and both of them would have happily continued kissing for another eternity, they finally parted. Holding their foreheads together, they looked deep in to each others eyes, just glad to see each other again. John then noticed the blood on the side of Cameron's head and raised his hand to her wound. His face changed from relief to self hate in an instant. "I'm so sorry Cameron. I shouldn't have let you go. I should have gone myself, I'm so sorry!" John looked to the truck and groaned as he saw only five others had made it back with her.

"It wasn't your fault John. Things got out of hand so quickly, none of us saw it coming". John knew she was referring to the new T nine hundreds, but he didn't want to press the issue as she had just gotten back. A bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, quickly followed by a loud crack of thunder. They both looked up to the clouded night sky, just as the cold rain began to fall. "Come on, let's get inside". They moved quickly inside the power plant and down the ramp. Waiting at the bottom was Lauren and two other medics. The two medics moved right passed John and Cameron to help a critically wounded Barrera, who was being carried on a stretcher by the other four survivors. Lauren pulled Cameron to one side and began checking her wound. "It's not as bad as it looks. Allison finished her shift an hour ago, get her to clean it and patch you up". Lauren next used her small flashlight to look in to her eyes. "You haven't slept for days, you need sleep, and a lot of it". She put her flash light away and then turned to John.

"Make sure she sleeps. I know Kyle can be a handful, so you need to help out". John was a little offended by this, as Lauren was making out that he didn't help out with Kyle at all. Without another word, Lauren left with a smile to see Barrera, leaving John and Cameron alone. They both heard Lauren say that Barrera needed surgery as they headed towards the aide stations. John turned to Cameron, taking her hand in to his own. "Come on, let's go home. Kyle's missed you". Though Cameron felt a surge of joy to hear those words, she shook her head, "No John, not yet!" She reached in to her pocket and took out the T nine hundreds chip. John gave a small laugh before he also shook his head. "No, that can wait until later". He pushed her hand down, not interested in the chip, but Cameron shook him off. "Just listen John. Those new T nine hundreds are deadly. They killed nearly everyone in a matter of seconds. Their fast and twice as strong then anything we've fought before". She held up the chip and stared at it closely for a moment, remembering how the machines moved and how quickly and brutally they killed. "The chip's somehow immune to our EMP, and our plasma rifles do little to no damage to their armour. You need to hack this and find a way for us to fight them. If Skynet mass produces them before you do, it will be a bloodbath. Their wipe us all out in a matter of days".

John took in all her word before he raised his hand and took the chip from her. He held it up and stared at it with anger and disappointment. He felt anger at the death of his soldier and disappointment with the news that their weapons were now useless against Skynet's new machines. "Okay, I'll go to command and look in to this, but only if you promise me you'll get some sleep". Cameron gave a small nod before replying, "I promise". Cameron couldn't remember the last time she sounded so unconvincing, and wasn't surprised as John caught on with ease. "I promise I'll get some sleep after I've seen Kyle and got my self patched up, okay?" John nodded his head and with a smile, leaned in for another kiss. "I love you ". Cameron always blushed when he told her that, and now was no different. "I love you too, I'll see you when you get home, don't be late". John gave a laugh before leaving after another kiss. He quickly disappeared through the maze of corridors towards the command room. Cameron watched him leave and then turned towards home, and her son.

In just under five minutes, Cameron arrived home and pushed open the door, and then stepped inside her and John's home. Closing the door behind her, she heard Allison's voice, singing softly, coming from her and John's room. Slowly walking over and looking inside, she saw Allison sitting on her bed, and in her arms, fast asleep, was her baby brother Kyle. Allison was singing softly to Kyle and rocking him from side to side. Cameron listened hard to recognise the song, until she hear the words, 'the cradle will fall' to learn that she was singing rock a by baby to him. I was the same song that she and John sung to Kyle to help him sleep. Cameron didn't know whether to say anything and disturb them, but her urge to see Kyle again was stronger then she anticipated, so she decided to speak. "Allison". Jumping with surprise, Allison looked up as Cameron spoke and moved to jump up and run at Cameron, but she stopped herself as she was holding Kyle. "Mom, your back! About time!" She spoke in little more then a whisper, trying not to wake her brother. Cameron walked quickly to the bed and sat down next to her. She pulled Allison in to a hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"How's my boy doing?" Cameron looked down towards her son, and her smile became fixed. Watching him sleep became routine to Cameron, every chance she got, she would watch him sleep and stare in wonder on how she of all people deserved to have something so beautiful in her life. Kyle was huddled up in a thin blanket in Allison's arms, his right hand tightly grasped around Allison's smallest finger. Cameron reached out and stroked her son's slowly growing brown hair, identical in every detail to his fathers. He moved slightly at his mothers touch, but he didn't wake and carried on sleeping. "He's doing fine mom. He's missed you like crazy and it's hard to make him sleep, but other then that, he's fine. It's great having a little brother to look after. I've got something to look forwards to at the end of my shifts at the aide stations".

Kyle began to stir again, so Allison slowly turned herself towards her, and gently lowered Kyle in to Cameron's arms. As she positioned Kyle to make him as comfortable as possible, Kyle stretched his arms and opened his eye's. His chocolate brown eyes glared at Cameron until he recognised who she was and reached up to her. Cameron lowered her head to his outreached hands so he could touch her face, which he did with a small smile. Cameron kissed him on the forehead, just as he yawned and closed his eyes again. Allison stood up and stretched her arms and legs before she turned and gasped at the blood on the side of Cameron's face. "What the hell mom, why didn't you say anything?" Cameron didn't know what she was talking about for a moment, but as Allison moved to a green box near the door, opened it and began taking out medical supplies, she remembered her head wound. "I didn't want to worry you. Lauren said I just need some sleep". Allison began muttering under her breath as she sorted out what she needed and returned to the bed, holding some bandages, a pair of scissors, and a bottle of antibiotics. "Your lucky you're my mother or I'd hit you. The longer you leave it mom, the more likely it will get infected".

Cameron gasped in pain and tried not to move as Allison cleaned her wound. Once she had cleaned the wound and wiped the dry blood away, Allison cut some bandages for her and began to apply them to her wound. "You and dad are just as bad as each other. You've both got to stop keeping things from me and dad to stop us worrying". Cameron looked up with surprise. "What do you mean me and John are as bad as each other, what hasn't he told me?" Allison just stared at her with confusion for a moment, and then she looked annoyed and frustrated. "He told me he was going to tell you. What is it with him keeping secrets from you and me picking up the pieces"? Cameron felt more confused then ever. As far as she knew, John didn't keep secrets from her and hadn't done since before Judgement day, and she didn't keep any from him, she told him everything. "What's he not telling me?" Allison shook her head in annoyance and finished fixing the bandages. Leaning back to check she had done it right; she gave a smile of approval at her own work.

"It's his nightmares again. He won't tell me what happens but it scares him. He does a good job in trying to not showing it, but I've never seen him more scared of a nightmare since he kept dreaming that you were goanna die". Cameron felt a chill move up her spine, as Allison took the bandages she didn't use and moved to the green box and put them away again. "How long has he been having these nightmares?" Cameron knew all too well how bad nightmares could affect people, as she had been through the same sort of thing before. Allison sat back on the bed next to her and they both looked down to Kyle as he moved in his sleep again. "He's been having them ever since he found out you were pregnant. He didn't tell you then because of the near miscarriage and he didn't want you to get stressed over it". Cameron was even further taken aback, but felt a surge of gratitude for John. He had kept the secret and was suffering for it, but he did it for her. Cameron then stood up and moved towards the corner of the room, where Kyle's small cradle stood.

Inside, was a bundle of soft and warm blankets, as well as his favourite small teddy bear, which was a birthday gift from Allison. Next to the cradle, were four small wooden carved animals, each representing a dog, a horse, a eagle and a bear. Kyle wasn't old enough to understand what the animals were, but he loved to play with them. Lowing him in to the cradle, Cameron made sure he was wrapped up so he was warm and comfortable. Kyle seemed to know what was going on, as he reached out and grasped his small hand around its arm. Kyle yawned in his sleep and then didn't move anymore, sleeping in complete safety, comfort and warmth. Cameron kissed him again, softly on the cheek, before whispering, 'I love you Kyle, my little boy". Standing up straight, Allison watched as Cameron made for the door, and jumped up to stop her. "I don't think so mom, you're not going to see him". Cameron looked at Allison with a look that said, just try and stop me. "I'm not, I'm…". "You a bad liar mom. Look, it's late. If dads not here, then he's got a good reason to not be, hasn't he. He'll be home when he can, and when he does get home, then you can ask him about his nightmares, not before". Allison gave her a defiant look, forcing Cameron to back down.

Accepting defeat, Cameron made her way to her bed, and got herself ready for bed and Allison opened the medical box again. She took out a small black box, opened it and took out two sleeping tablets. Walking over with the tablets and a silver flask of cold water, she handed the tablets to Cameron. "Take these. You've hit your head hard, so you'll probably have trouble sleeping. These will help you to fall asleep". Cameron placed both tablets in her mouth and with the water, swallowed them both. Cameron lay back on to her pillow, pulled her blanket over her and turned herself so she could see the cradle in the corner of the room. She could faintly make out a sleeping Kyle in the darkness. Allison lowered herself and kissed her on the forehead, "Don't worry about Kyle, I'll keep an eye on him. Just sleep mom, I love you". Even as she opened her mouth to reply, Cameron could feel the sleeping tablets quickly taking hold of her. She was barley able to say, "I love you too", before she drifted off in to some much needed sleep.

At the other end of Serrano point, in the command room, John sat alone, with his eyes fixed on his laptop. For hours now, he'd been working to hack his way through Skynet's inscription on the T nine hundreds chip, and had only just finally broke through it. On the screen, he was watching the machine's last memory before it was shut down. The image was fuzzy at first, and even before it became completely clear, he knew it was Cameron's face the machine was staring at. He admired how beautiful she looked, even with her blood flowing down the side of her head; she was more beautiful then ever. Then he head the machines cold computer generated voice. "You're Cameron Connor, wife of John Connor! Know this; this world belongs to us now. We'll hunt you all down, until your extinct". He smiled widely as Cameron tilted her head to the side, something that made her look cute and innocent, and something he always loved about her. He watched as her loving and warm chocolate brown eyes looked straight in to the machines eyes, and se spoke, "Yes, I'm Cameron Connor, and you're terminated!" Cameron pulled out the chip and the memory sequence ended, leaving the laptop screen blank. John again smiled at her words. He could hear the pride in her voice as she named herself as Cameron Connor.

_The laptop screen flashed suddenly and continued to flash a white light. John, confused as he hadn't done anything to chance what was on the screen, tried to carry on with his work, only to find himself unable to control the laptop, he was locked out. He tried one on of his old tricks that his mother taught him but that didn't work either. Before he could decide on what to do next, the flashing ended and an image appeared. It was a room, a dark room. He didn't know why, but as he looked in to its darkness, he had a feeling he was being watched, by something or someone that shouldn't be there. Then suddenly, John found himself standing in that very room, his desk, laptop and the command room long gone. He looked around at the sound of footsteps in the darkness, which could be heard somewhere to his left. As he looked for the source of the footsteps, they could be heard behind him, and then they were somewhere else. Every time he looked in the direction of the sound, the footsteps could be heard somewhere else. Then suddenly, something charged at him from behind and threw him high in to the air. John twisted and turned as he flew, trying to turn himself so he could and on his feet. Seconds later John landed on his back, his body aching from the blunt of the landing. As he lay there, a cold computer generated laugh echoed through the dark room, a voice John had heard only once before. It was Skynet, and it's laughing got louder and louder, until it eventually subsided. "You thought you had fulfilled your dream, you were wrong John Connor. Your dream ends here forever, along with your resistance, and your precious Human race". _

_Out of the shadows, a figure emerged, and as it came in to view, all of John's fears took such a strong hold on him and it began to suffocate him. Skynet stepped in to view, still controlling the body of Cromartie. In its hands, the machine was holding some sort of rifle, far more advanced and far more complicated then anything he had seen before. Skynet stopped and stood over John, staring down on him with a smirk on its face. "It seems fate favours me today, John Connor. Know this, I win, I always win". Priming its strange and advanced rifle, the machine took a step back and aimed for John's heart. John tired to be brave and stare down the barrel of the rifle, to make one last defiant stand, but his had no bravery left, nothing at all, and so he looked away to the his right, and waited for the inevitable. John then saw something through the darkness, something strange. Someone was standing there, absolutely still, and was completely engulfed in flames. The flames, a mixture of red, blue and for some reason white, didn't seem to bother who ever it was at all. _

_Skynet looked up and spotted the person, and instead of killing him, it fired at the person in flames. John was blinded by the flash from Skynet's strange rifle. He didn't know what was going on, but he heard screaming, Cameron's screams, screaming his name. She was screaming for help, for him to save her. "JOHN, HELP US, PLEASE HELP US!" He then heard Allison's screams, just as loud as Cameron's were. She too, was calling out for him, "DAD, WHERE ARE YOU, DAD PLEASE, DAD!" Through their screams for help, he could just hear his son Kyle crying loudly. Then Cameron's screams got louder and louder, until it sounded like she was right next to him. "JOHN!" With one final shout of his name, John heard nothing more and then their was silence. John tried to call out, but somehow, no sound left him when he open his mouth. Then suddenly, the sound came._

"CAMERON!" Screaming out the name of the woman he loved, John sat up in his chair, so fast he fell off it and on to the floor. It took a moment for him to realise where he was, back in the command room. He could feel how hot his body was, as the sweat seemed to flow like water from his body, John couldn't stop his body shake with fear, as Cameron's scream had been so real, more real then he could possibly imagine. John held his head in his hands and tried to control his breathing, with no success. "Are you alright sir?" John looked up to see one of his solders standing over him. John nodded his head, knowing full well that he wasn't alright. Dragging himself to his feet, he looked around to see the command room was almost completely empty. Usually, the room would be full with around thirty to forty people, all manning the many computers, keeping in constant communication with resistance solders across the planet.. But at this moment, there were only ten. All of them were staring at him, surprise and concern on their faces due to their sudden outburst. "Where is everyone?".

A few of them turned to each other, muttering words under the breath. "Errr, sorry sir, but everyone gone to bed, it's half one in the morning". John gaped at the person who spoke and raised his wrist, and true to his words, his watch told him it had just hit half past one. Shaking his head, John sat down on his chair again and looked to his laptop. The screen was blank, showing that the machines memory that he had watched had ended. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, or when he'd fallen asleep. He had spent hours hacking his way in to the T nine hundreds chip, with out taking a break. Every time he hit a problem in accessing the chip, he worked furiously to bypass it, not even considering giving up. He didn't realise how much he had tired himself out doing it. Looking up again he saw that the ten people were still staring at him. "Shows over!" They all immediately got back to work, except the one man who spoke before. "Sorry sir, we didn't know if we should have woken you or not". John merely shook his head, more annoyed at himself then he was at them.

"It's alright, I'm going home, see you later". John closed the laptop and quickly left the room, stepping in to the cold corridor. Normally, the cold would make him uncomfortable, but instead he felt a little better. Walking towards home, he hoped Cameron would be asleep, hoping he didn't have to tell her about his nightmares. He originally didn't tell her due to her near miscarriage and even when she became safe, he still kept it from her. He didn't know why he kept it from her; he just didn't want her to worry about him, especially over a few bad dreams. But even as he thought about it, they weren't just bad dreams. The dreams had steadily gotten worse as time went on. He didn't know how long he could or should keep this from Cameron. As he debated, his radio came to life, nearly giving him a heart attack due to how quiet it was. "Connor! Connor pick up!".

It was Bedell, and despite the urge to ignore him and go home to his family, he could tell something was wrong, and so he answered. "What is it Bedell?" "Connor, good, you're awake. You need to come to the roof and quickly. Its Liz, I think she might do something stupid". John instantly turned around and walked as fast as he could towards the roof, taking shortcuts along catwalks and through one of the large rooms in which over two hundred people lived and slept. John eventually hurried up the stairs which led to the roof and stepped out in to the old air. He wished he had brought his jacket, as it was absolutely freezing outside. Bedell was standing close towards the door and as he saw John, nodded his head towards the other end of the roof. He could see Liz sitting alone, her legs dangling over the edge of the building. There was no railing where she was sitting, the railings having long been destroyed in the battle to take Serrano point from Skynet. "She's been drinking up here for hours and talking to herself. I know you and her are close, so I called you here".

John nodded his head and muttered his thanks before making his way over to Liz. John ignored the gazes of the soldiers on the roof on guard duty. As John neared Liz, he could see a half empty bottle of vodka in her hand. He could hear her muttering to herself, but her words didn't make any sense what so ever. "Liz!" John insanity regretted saying anything, because as she turned to look at him, she nearly slipped over the side, but somehow, she didn't fall. "Hey John, take a seat and have a drink?". John shook his head and sat down next to her. He let his legs dangle over the edge of the building and looked down. It was on hell of a distance to fall. If either him or Liz fell, they wouldn't get up again. Liz again offered John the bottle, and this time he took it. John lifted the bottle to his lips and pretended to take a drink, which seemed to make Liz a little happier.

"What are you doing Liz, this isn't you?". Liz started to giggle, and John reached out to grab her, just as she looked like she was going to fall. "And how do you know this isn't me John, how do you know?". Liz reached out and took the bottle from him, and took another drink of vodka. John knew that she would be sick if she had anymore, so he reached out and took it from her, before he tossed it ahead of him, where it disappeared through the darkness. Only a few seconds later, they heard the smashing of the bottle on the ground below. "You bastard, I wasn't finished with that!". She raised her hands to hit John, but John was quicker, grabbing both her arms. "Liz, calm down now. You're drunk, this isn't you, I'm taking you home".

Keeping a firm grip on her arms, John somehow managed to get to his feet, and then pulled Liz to hers. Liz did her best to make things difficult, even threatening to jump and drag John with her. Her struggling didn't deter John however, and he pulled her away from the edge. "Let go of me John. Let go!". John let go of her left arm and dragged her towards the door back inside. He wasn't going to leave her in the state she was in. Bedell stood by the door, looking like he was going to pass out from exhaustion. Liz spotted him and began to point and laugh at him. "Look at him, look, he's got no hair!". Liz didn't seem to spot that Bedell was wearing a woolly hat to keep himself warm in the cold. She held her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably, not noticing both John and Bedell shake their heads. "I doubt she'll remember anything when she wakes up". Bedell nodded in agreement and held the door open for them.

John led Liz down the stairs, which took a lot longer then it would normally, as Liz kept missing all the steps and falling over on to John. He suspected she was doing it on purpose to make things difficult, but he wasn't going to give up. Bedell left them and headed towards the barracks where he slept. He refused any offers to sleep anywhere else, preferring to sleep close to his men, some of which he considered them to be brothers and they of him, due to the amount of times they had all watched each others backs in this long war. John led Liz towards her home, which she shared with her brother, William. John was thankful to eventually be standing outside Liz's home, as she had made every attempt to insult and shout at every soldier they walked passed. Liz dragged herself forwards and to her bed in the corner of the small room. John looked up towards the second room, and could hear Williams strong snores coming through the closed door. At the foot of Liz's bed, her dog Max, looked up to watch as Liz moved the room. Max eventually lost interest and tuned his back to Liz, keeping it's nose as far as possible from Liz, who smelt strongly of vodka. Liz suddenly fell to the floor, half laughing and half moaning in pain as she held her knee.

John, wanting to leave as quickly as possible and go to bed himself, moved forwards and helped her to her feet and towards her bed. Liz fell back with a sigh and as John turned towards to door, she reached out and took his hand. "Wait, don't go, stay!". John knew exactly what she wanted from him, so he quickly tried to think of an excuse to leave. His silence must have told Liz he wanted to stay for she pulled him down to sit on the bed next to her. John tired to stand up again, but she held him down, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around him. "Just stay with me John, just for a few minutes at least". They sat in silence for a good fifteen minutes and every time John tried to stand, she would pull him down again and hold him tighter. After what seemed like an hour, Liz finally spoke, "It's not fair". John first tried to think of what wasn't fair, but nothing came to mind.

"What isn't fair?". Liz finally removed her arm from around John and turned her head to face him. John didn't dare look at her, mainly because by what she wanted and for he vodka smelling breath. "Life isn't fair, that's what. Look at me, I've got no one, no one who loves me. I come home every night and all I've got is William. He spends all his time with women, he has a new girlfriend every week and he's happy to keep it that way, but me, I've got no one. And then there's you". John's stomach turned as he was brought in to the conversation.

"You John, you go home and you've got… you've got Cameron". Liz said Cameron's name through gritted teeth, and John tired not to be angry with her, as he knew Liz wouldn't say any of this if she was sober. Liz turned John's head towards her and tried to kiss him. John instantly turned away and stood up, forcing himself out of Liz's grip. Liz gave a howl of despair and rejection and lay back on her bed, covering her face and crying softly. "Why don't you love me?. You love her, you love Cameron but you don't love me. Why don't you love me?". John couldn't think of anything to say that would hurt her feelings. He did love Liz, just not in the way she wanted. "Please go John, please leave me alone, go!". John felt guilty for leaving Liz like this, but decided it was best for him to leave, "I'm sorry". He walked for the door, stopping as Max stood up from his sleeping spot and moved to sit next to him. John knelt down and stroked him behind the ears. "Don't worry Max, she'll be alright". Max must have understood what he was saying, for he licked John once on his hand and went back to his sleeping spot.

He lay back down and watched Liz as she cried on her bed. John stepped out and closed the door behind him. Liz's cries got more distant the further he got and eventually, he heard nothing more of her. John finally stepped quietly in to his home. He spotted Allison fast asleep on the couch, wrapped tightly in her sleeping bag. He knelt and kissed her softly on the forehead and continued to his and Cameron's room. He could see Cameron fast asleep. He saw the bandages on the side of her head, undoubtedly the work of Allison and was glad Cameron was okay, more then glad, he was relived. John could tell she fell asleep watching over their son, who was also asleep in his cradle. Spending a few moments looking over Kyle, helping him drift back to sleep as he woke and made sure he was comfortable, he went to bed himself.

John didn't sleep well. Other then having only a few hours until he was due to wake up, his nightmare returned with a vengeance. He woke early, breathing heavily and with sweat on his face. The dream had been exactly the same as before. Skynet controlling Cromartie's body, however unlikely it seemed. Cameron's screams and then, a figure of flames, shining through the darkness. John didn't know why it scared him so much, and instead of dwelling on it, he got himself out of bed and made sure to wrap the blanket around Cameron to keep her warm in the cold room. He heard Kyle was awake and as he walked over, could see he was playing with his teddy bear. John could see he was hungry, so he took a bottle of warm milk and picked Kyle up in to him arms and held the bottle to his mouth. Kyle began eagerly drinking the milk, closing his eyes as he did. As John fed him, Cameron's eyes slowly opened, he eyes fixed on the empty cradle. She turned her head slowly and watched with a smile as John fed Kyle. Watching them brought sadness and happiness to Cameron.

She was sad for John, because his father never had the chance to do what John was doing now to his son. But she was happy also, for John was able to do this, to be there for his child, just like he promised he always would. She couldn't stop herself from yawning, which alerted both John and Kyle that she was awake. John moved towards the bed and sat down, allowing Cameron to run her fingers through Kyle's brown hair. "John, tell me about the nightmares". John's smile vanished and he groaned, his lie having been discovered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep it from you for this long, I just…..". Cameron pressed her finger to his lips, silencing him in an instant.

"Don't be mad at her, but Allison told me yesterday. I know why you kept it secret and I don't blame you. Just tell me about them". John told her everything, every detail. He told her about Skynet, Cromartie, her screams and the figure in flames. Cameron always listened, not just because she wanted to, it was because a lot of John's dreams and hers for that matter, have always happened in reality in some shape or form. Skynet controlling Cromartie's body, however unlikely, was a definite possibility. John would have to face Skynet one day, so what John was seeing in his nightmares, could happen one day, but hopefully, not as the nightmares showed. "You an idiot John, you care to much and you let yourself suffer for it. Next time, just tell me". John smiled, happy she wasn't taking the news of him keeping a secret from her for so long to heart. Kyle finished drinking the milk, and as John took the bottle away, he burped loudly, bring a larger smile to both his parents faces.

Later, John headed again for the command room to work on the T nine hundred chip she captured. But as the hours went on, he found it would take a while even to find the information they needed to fight the T nine hundreds. Every single file on the chip was encrypted and it took John at least half an hour to get through it. Even then, he didn't know what files he was hacking. One file however, did yield some interesting information, a Skynet hit list. Reading through the list, he wasn't surprised when he saw that his name was first, the priority target. Second on the list was Cameron and much to John's surprise, Allison was third. There was no information on why she was in third on the list, but John suspected that Skynet wanted all of the Connor's dead, and so they were on the top. Other familiar names followed the Connors, including Liz, Perry, Lauren, Bedell, William and Sidney. After those, their were at least three hundred others, all John's generals and lieutenants, scattered all over the world, on every continent. Thankfully, Kyle Connor's name wasn't on the list.

Either Skynet didn't know of Kyle's existence yet, which wasn't likely, or the list was made before Kyle was born. Cameron eventually arrived with Kyle in her arms, providing John with a welcoming distraction from his work for a while. Liz hadn't turned up from her room through out the entire morning. John guessed she was recovering from a heavy hangover. He sent two soldiers to check she was alright and they both returned ten minutes later, with a white faced and ill looking Liz. She didn't even bother to try and stop Max from running over to Cameron and wagging his tail as she stocked him behind their ears. Liz took a seat nearby and held her head in her hands, not once making eye contact with John. Leaving Cameron with Kyle on her lap as she had a go with the T nine hundreds chip, John walked over to Liz and knelt down next to her. "Liz, are you alright?". "No, of course not. I've got one hell of a headache, I'm late for my shift and to top it all off, I made a complete fool of myself last night. Do you know how embarrassed I feel right now".

She moaned as she shook her head. "I'm sorry for what I said, I wish I didn't and I know I shouldn't have. I'm sorry". It was John's turn to shake his head. "It's alright. There's nothing to be sorry for". Liz slowly turned herself to face him. She looked like she was going to be sick. "I am sorry". "Like I said, it's fine. Go and get some fresh air or something. It will make you feel better. I'll see you later, okay?". Liz nodded her head, though she instantly regretted it and moaned again in pain. She slowly got to her feet and tapped her hand against her leg. Max responded instantly and followed Liz out of the room. John returned to Cameron and sat down next to her, and playfully tickled Kyle under the chin, making him laugh loudly and drawing the gazes of those nearby. "What was all that about, with Liz?". Before John could answer, his radio came to life once again.

John held it up to answer as Perry's voice came through. "Connor, we need to talk, I've got some news from Falcon cove bunker. I'm in the barracks". John sighed loudly because when ever Perry spoke like this, it was always bad news. "Okay, I'm on my way". John looked to Cameron, who gave him an encouraging smile. He nodded his head and stood up and before he could walk out of the room, Kyle began to cry loudly. Cameron held him tightly and rocked him from side to side but he carried on crying. "Here John, take him with you. I'll stay here and see if I have any luck in getting what we need off this chip. John nodded and as Cameron kissed Kyle softly on the cheek, John swooped him in to his arm, where he continued to scream loudly. John then leant forwards and he and Cameron kissed deeply before he headed out of the command room and towards the barracks. Kyle stopped crying and looked around at everything and everyone with fascination, though not understanding anything due to his young age.

Nearing the barracks, he spotted Perry and Bedell standing together, talking quickly and quietly. As John approached, they both gave smiles towards Kyle, who didn't know who either of them were. Turning their gazes to John, their faces dropped and John waited for the bad news. "Connor, we've lost Falcon cove. No survivors". John's face dropped and he shook his head. Falcon cove was one of their newest bunkers, but it houses nearly four hundred people, three hundred of them were women and children. Kyle saw that John was unhappy and slowly began to cry again. John did his best to calm him down, but the looks on Bedell and Perry's faces told him they had more to say. John looked behind him and to his relief, he saw Allison talking with a group of people nearby. "Allison, come here!". Allison turned and was surprised to see him there. She walked over slowly, her eyes fixed on her brother. "Here, can you take him for a while?". He didn't wait for an answer as he pushed Kyle in to her arms. "It's okay, I'll take him for a walk. I don't have much to do at the minute". Kyle's crying didn't cease as Allison walked away, she herself trying to calm him. John turned back to Perry and nodded his head. "Okay, hit me with it". Perry sighed loudly before responding.

"It's not just Falcon cove. They took out Dakota, Arizona and shields head bunkers. All of them, no survivors. It's those new T nine hundreds, they walked in to our bunkers and came out with out a scratch on them. We're defenceless against them". John held his right hand to his head. All those people who had died in those bunkers made him feel sick. Those four bunker added up to nearly a thousand people, all dead in one day. "Where are the machines now?". "We don't know. They could be heading here or towards another one of our bunkers. If they did come here, we've got nothing that can stop them, unless you've found something on the chip". John shook his head, bringing groans from both of them. John turned and looked down the corridor. "Cameron's working on it now. I know we don't have any options but we…". John stopped talking and froze, his eyes fixed in place. He felt his body shake with fear. "Connor?, you alright?". John ignored Bedell and remained focussed down the corridor. Kneeling down to an injured soldier and his family, was Allison.

She had her medical kit with her and was changing his bandages. There was no mistaking that it was Allison, as the light from the corridor reflected off her diamond necklace, the same diamond necklace he gave Cameron for her birthday and Cameron gave Allison for hers. Bedell followed John's gaze and spotted Allison. At first, he thought nothing of it, then he caught on. "Err, Connor?, If that's Allison, then who…..". "Who the hell did I give Kyle to?". John broke in to a run in the direction Kyle was taken, Perry and Bedell close behind him. Bedell muttered something on his radio, and the alarms sounded. John didn't know where he was going, he just kept running, looking out for any sign of whatever was pretending to be Allison and his son. Asking around, the civilians in the corridor pointed him towards the back of the power plant, the back entrance. John, as well and Bedell and Perry were joined by other soldiers as they ran. John, panicking that his son was gone, threw himself in to the doors in the last room, and ran from behind the machinery in the room and could see the back entrance. Liz was there, standing by the entrance with her dog Max, who was barking madly at Allison, who held a screaming Kyle in her arms.

There was no diamond necklace around her neck, proving to John that this wasn't Allison, but a machine. "LIZ, GET AWAY FROM HER!". Liz looked from Allison to John and back to Allison. Realising what was going on, she reached for her pistol. But it was too late, the T one thousand resembling Allison raised its arm and it turned in to a silver blade. Before Liz could react, the machine extended its arm in to Liz's chest, deep in to her heart. Liz twitched and stared in horror as the machine retracted its blade and Liz fell to the floor, where she remained still. The T one thousand then calmly walked out of the back entrance, taking a screaming Kyle with it. John ran after the machine, so fast, he was well ahead of everyone else who followed. Outside, an HK aerial landed, nearly throwing John off his feet by the blast of air from its powerful engines. "KYLE!". There was nothing John or anyone else could do as the T one thousand stepped on the larger machine.

The machine turned and with Allison's face, gave a sly smile. Before John's eyes, the machine turned completely silver and reformed in to a new body. With red hair and a white dress, Catherine Weaver stood before John, holding his son. Cameron arrived seconds later, and she to tried to run to get Kyle back, but like John, the aerials engine kept her at bay. "PLEASE NO, KYLE!". John and Cameron grasped each others hands, and watched helplessly as the aerial took off, and disappeared in to the sky, taking Catherine Weaver and their son with it.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

John couldn't remember any other time in his entire life when he felt so numb. He couldn't feel anything, his arms, legs, fingers or toes, absolutely nothing. Everyone around him didn't dare speak or approach him, afraid of his reaction. John sat with his eyes down, fixed on his pistol, which lay on the table in front of him and it was because he was staring at the gun, that everyone was silent. They knew what had happened, the news of Liz's death and Kyle's kidnapping had spread quicker then a plague would through a crowded city or a wild fire would through California's many dry forests. They didn't know what was more shocking. Liz, one of their leaders and one of the founders of the resistance against the machines, was dead or that Kyle Connor, the son of John and Cameron Connor, had been taken from them, taken by the machines. The machines, which normally kill, not capture, had taken the son of their leader from his hands. John was waiting for news, news that he already knew the answer to, but needed to hear it never the less. Their was a mummer through out the command room on who would tell him, but it was Perry, who was uncomfortable to be in to command room instead of being out fighting the machines, who approved John. Perry himself, was nervous. He had lost family through out the war, but none of them had been taken from him like Kyle had been take from John. "Sir?".

His voice was just louder then a whisper and he waited for a response. "Sir?". He said this again more firmly, and John raised his head slightly to show he was listening. Perry took a deep breath and then spoke quickly, but clearly. "Sir, the aerial's gone. It's doubtful we'll find it or find where it went". John shook his head and slowly sat up. Without turning to Perry, he shook his head again and spoke, "Look again!". Their was a small groan from a few people in the room, but nothing more then that. They all looked to Perry who in turn, kept his eyes on John. "Sir, we've looked three times now. It doesn't matter how many times we look, the result is going to be the same". John could hear a few worried mummers in the room as Perry spoke, but he wasn't giving up. "I said look again Perry, so look again". Perry looked to the floor in disappointment and turned to look at everyone in the room. "Begin another search!". John could hear in Perry's voice that it was hopeless but he needed to keep searching for Kyle, he couldn't not just do nothing.

"Connor, you need to stop". John didn't move as Bedell's voice echoed through the room. Their was complete silence now and no movement what so ever. John slowly turned in his chair, picking up his pistol as he did. By the door, was Bedell and behind him, was Lauren and Allison. Tears were falling silently down Allison's cheeks and her reddened and swollen face told John she had been crying for hours. Lauren had her arm around her, giving her someone to hold on to. "Connor, you need to stop now". Bedell began to walk forwards slowly and Perry, moved to the side of the room to watch, his arms folded tightly. "Why would I stop Bedell. They took my son and I'm not stopping until I get him back". "Yes you are. Your going to do as I say, and your going to stop". John could feel his blood start to boil. All the numbness in his body was still there, but he felt hot with anger at the same time. Bedell stopped before John, and told John to hand over his gun and to go home, but John raised his pistol to Bedell's head and used all his strength to stop himself from shooting him.

"I'm not going to stop until I get my son back. Do you have any idea how I feel, how I feel?. I handed my son over, I gave him to that machine. The machine that looked like my daughter took my son from me, killed Liz and then walked out with him. I lost Kyle, Me!, not you or anyone body else. I lost him, I lost my Kyle, my own son". Everyone was staring at them with fear. Perry had taken a step forwards but he didn't know what he could do. His leader was holding one of their best solders at gunpoint and John was poring his heart out to everyone, blaming himself for what happened. Bedell, despite John's anger remained calm. "What are you going to do, shoot me?. Is this what Liz would want?. If she were alive now, she'd have slapped you by now. Have you considered what Cameron's feeling now, or Allison?. Your so obsessed, you've forgotten your other child, your daughter and you've left Cameron alone. I'm not going to let you do this Connor, because right now, your not the man Cameron fell in love with, or the father that Allison loves and looks up to".

Every single word that Bedell said hit John like a bullet, and Bedell said a lot of words. Bedell slowly raised his hands and even more slowly, he pulled the pistol from John's grip and a sigh of relief, he tossed it to Perry. John stood, his eyes staring at his terrified daughters face, and for the first time in the many long hours since Kyle had been taken, John could see how hurt she was. Bedell raised his hands and placed them on John's shoulders, getting his attention again, but John wanted nothing more then to hold Allison,, now knowing how selfish he had been. "John, I'm your friend. You saved my life back at that stupid military school and I'm returning that favour now. Take Allison, and go home. She and Cameron, especially, need you now more then they ever have done. Me and Perry will run things and I swear to you now, we'll keep looking for him. None of us will stop until we've found him. Go home".

John was a little surprised as Bedell had used his first name, something which he had never done, but as he looked around, he saw that everyone in the room agreed with him, and so he nodded his head. Bedell gave a small smile and stepped aside, allowing John to pass. John walked towards the door and to Allison. John had only seen her so upset once before, and that was when her best friend had been killed and a machine had taken his place. Lauren removed her arm and stepped aside and Allison stepped in to John's arms, holding her tightly, just like he should have done when all this had started. "Oh God, I'm so sorry Allison, I don't know what else I can say but this. I'm sorry and I'll always love you, you're my daughter and nothing that happens will ever change that". John only spoke in a whisper, but it was enough for Allison to hear. She nodded her head, not able to speak through her tears. They slowly walked out of the room and turned down the corridor. John could hear Bedell and Perry giving orders, but what those orders were, John didn't know nor did he care. He wanted to go home and be with his daughter and be with his wife. Everyone went silent when they saw John and Allison. They all were in shock by the days earlier events.

All of them, John included, had thought that Serrano point was safe from the machines, that the machine wouldn't dare attack them here. It was after all, as headquarters of the world side resistance, more most heavily defended Resistance stronghold. What happened earlier had reminded everyone that no one was safe, and John knew he of all people, should have known that. The last corridor, was packed with people, and like everyone else, went silent as they spotted John and Allison. They moved aside as best they could, leaving a small gap for John and Allison to move through. As they did, some people offered their sympathies, others just looked terrified and were trying to be close to where the Connor's lived, which in their eyes, was the safest place they could be. John pushed his way through towards the door and keeping a firm hold on Allison's hand, stepped inside his home and with Allison safe inside, he closed and locked the door behind him. They both took a moment to look around the room before John, with Allison's hand still in his, walked towards his and Cameron's room, pushing open the door and stepped inside. He found what he was looking for in an instant. Cameron was sitting on the bed, her soft brown hair covering her face.

She didn't look up towards them, but kept eyes on the cradle in the corner of the room. John walked slowly around the bed to her and gave a small gasp as he saw her face. Her skin was completely white and her cheeks stained with tears. Her eyes were fixed on the cradle in the corner of the room and in her hands, was Kyle's small teddy bear. John sat down next to her, unsure on what to say or do. "Cameron?". She didn't move or respond to him, the only movement being a fresh set of tears fell down her cheeks. He reached for her hand and held it softly, but Cameron still didn't move. Tears began flowing uncontrollable down her cheeks, and she showily turned and fell in to John's arms, crying loudly. "I want him back, I want my baby back, I want my Kyle back". John could barely hear her words through her crying, but to him, they were so clear. John held her tightly and finally released the tears that he had been so desperately holding back. John could see Allison break down in to tears again and beckoning her over, he held on to his wife and daughter, determined to never let them go, never.

The next day, John awoke to find both Cameron and Allison were asleep on either side of him. Cameron's hands were still holding her son's teddy bear firmly. He felt like something had been missing from his nights sleep, but quickly realised it was his son's absence that was strange to him. Kyle wasn't with them, and because of that, he didn't wake him or Cameron in the middle of the night with his crying, which was something they had both gotten used to and both enjoyed, because it gave them another opportunity to comfort their miracle, their son. Even his nightmares, which had plagued him since Cameron's pregnancy, had stayed away from him, kept at bay he thought, by his grief. He reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and for a time, he watched his wife and daughter sleep. He looked at Allison and saw her light blonde hair was a complete mess.

He gave a small smile, knowing that Allison never really cared about her appearance. She never needed to. The only thing she purposely did with her appearance was cover her Skynet work camp tattoo with a wrist sweat band because every time she looked at it, she would remember all those who died within the camps walls and she would lie to John and Cameron that she wasn't crying over them when they caught her. Her lie never stopped either of them form comforting her, which always made her feel better. Her next looked at Cameron, who shifted uncomfortably in her sleep. He could tell by the movements of her arms, she was looking for him, trying to find him and cuddle up to him. When she failed in her search, she turned on to her side, her eyes still closed, but facing towards the empty cradle in the corner of the room. Kneeing down, he stroked Cameron's soft hair, bringing a slight moan form her lips before he kissed those same lips softly. He thought for a moment, he felt her kissing him back, but as he pulled away, her eyes were still closed as she slept.

He again stroked her soft hair, taking in it's soft warm feeling for a few moments before standing up and looking around for his clothes. He couldn't see them, and then he remembered that he Cameron and Allison had all fallen asleep the previous night fully clothed, and so he walked for the door slowly and pushed it open. "Dad?". John gave a groan and turned to see Allison's blue eyes staring at him. Her eyes weren't what they normally were. They were usually bright and full of life but now, they were dull with sorrow and grief. John quietly made his way back to the bed and sat down, bringing Allison in to a hug. Cameron again shifted slightly, but carried on sleeping. "Dad, I'm sorry". John closed his own eyes for he knew what was coming. He let go of her and moved her head up to his, so he could speak to her face to face.

"It's not your fault Allison. Don't think it is because the machine looked like you. Its not your fault and it never will be. If it's anybody's fault, then its mine". He took a deep breath, shook his head and wished he could just wish Kyle back to him. "It's not your fault, so please don't blame yourself. If you have to blame someone, then blame me and only me". Allison looked shocked by his words and John knew it. John blamed himself for what had happened because it was he who handed Kyle to the machine. After all those years of training with his mother, fighting the machines, surviving Judgement day and everything that had happened until this moment, he slipped and it had cost him dearly. He and Cameron always made sure who they were dealing with, made sure that they were human and not a machine in disguise. But like everyone else, he thought he and his family were safe in Serrano point and now he was paying for his arrogance. It was because of his arrogance, that Kyle was gone and Liz was dead. Allison shook her head suddenly and rested her head on his chest. "I can't blame you dad, I just cant. it's the machines that I blame, never you". John felt a little warmer after that, and he was grateful for her company.

They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying being with each other, father and daughter, then Allison sat up and spoke again. "How did you know it was me in the corridor and not the machine after you gave Kyle to it?". John thought for a moment and tried to remember. He then looked at Allison and raised his right hand and took hold of the diamond necklace around her neck. "I knew because you were wearing this, and the machine wasn't". Allison gave a small smile and they watched the diamond reflect what little light their was in the room on to their faces. "Why did you give this to mom?. Before you made it in to a necklace, why did you give it to her?". John thought again, this time much harder. It couldn't remember every detail but he did remember that his mom had thrown Cameron out of the window and she landed on top of a car that night. When they got back home, he sorted out the contents of the safe they had just cracked and he took out the diamonds from a small pouch and Cameron asked what they were, having never seen them before.

"I gave her one, because I loved her. I didn't know if I could trust her fully because I had only just met her, but I loved her and giving her this diamond was my way of telling her that". Allison nodded her head and raised her hands to unhook the necklace and handed it out to John. "Give it back to her dad. It should be hers". John shook his head, took the necklace form her hands and raised it around her neck again. "No, I stole the diamond from her and made it in to this necklace and then gave it to her for her birthday, her first present. She then gave it to you for your birthday. The necklace is yours Allison, and you look beautiful wearing it". Her face went slightly red as she blushed and John finished with the hook and let the necklace drop, where it shined around her neck once again. "Thanks dad". John gave a small smile and kissed her on the forehead before standing again. "Where are you going?". John thought for a moment, then knew exactly where he needed to go. "To command, but first, I'm going to the aide station". Allison's eyes widened and then she nodded her head. "To say goodbye to Liz?". John nodded and watched as Allison lay back down and cuddled into her mother. "Say good bye for me dad, please?". "I will, don't worry".

John stepped in to the corridor and saw that those who were there the previous night were still there. Most of them were still asleep as it was early but those who were awake didn't stop or bother John as he stepped carefully through the crowd, taking care not to step on anybody. As he cleared the corridor, he headed towards the aide stations, to where Liz's body had been taken the day before. As it was early, there weren't many civilians around, but most of the soldiers were. John guessed that Perry had doubled the amount of patrols and guards in Serrano point, as their seemed to be more on duty then normal. Arriving at the aide station, John stepped inside to see three medics working, and as always, every bed seemed to be full with the wounded and the dying. As John walked along, he saw that the third medic was Lauren and he walked towards her, knowing that she would know where to go. Lauren looked up as John approached and gave him a small smile, but the smile quickly disappeared again as the man on the bed next to her groaned in pain. John looked down at the man and saw that it wasn't a man, but just a small boy, not even ten years old. The boy gritted his teeth in pain and Lauren took his hand.

"I want my mom, where's my mom?". John actually did look around for the boys mother, but no one was there for him. "Is there anything I can do?". Lauren looked up, surprised by his question but shook her head. "Hold his hand, and wait". John did so and took the boys hand and could feel the boy shake. John couldn't tell if he was shaking from the pain, or from fear but he didn't have time to find out. The boy's shaking slowed and eventually stopped and so did his heart. His grip lessened and he died in front of them. John and Lauren both let go of the boys hands and John watched as she closed the boys eyes and pulled the blanket up to cover his body. Lauren shook her head and stepped back from the bed. "It never gets any easier, especially when it comes to children". John nodded his head sympathetically but decided to ask for what he came for.

"Lauren, I need to see Liz, if that's okay?". Lauren looked startled for a moment, mostly because a young boy had just died, but she pulled herself together and nodded her head. "Of course, follow me". She led John out of the back of the aide station and deep in to some corridors that John had never been through before, thought he knew where she was taking him, and that was the morgue. The corridors here were cold, making John wish he brought his jacket. Lauren led him in to one of the first rooms where a single body was covered by a white sheet. Lauren pointed towards it and looked towards John. "That's Liz. Her brother was here all through the night. He couldn't stop crying". John nodded and couldn't help the tears from building up again. "Can you give me a few minutes". Lauren nodded and stepped aside to allow John in to the room. "I'm needed back in the aide station, so I'll leave you here. You can tell Allison she can take as much time as she wants before she comes back to work".

John nodded and smiled his thanks before she closed the door. He waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore and he walked to the table. Raising his shaking hands, he pulled the sheet down to see Liz's head. John sighed and tears did begin to fall his cheeks again. He kind of hoped that Liz wasn't dead, that it had all been a mistake and she was fine somewhere, but she wasn't. Her lifeless body lay before him. He looked down at her face, which was full of sadness and loneliness. He felt lonely himself now, because with Liz and his father now gone, John was the only one left of the three of them who used to sit on the small hill in warehouse seventeen in Century work camp, and plan their escape. Both Kyle and Liz were now dead, and John was alone. John reached for Liz's cold hand and held it, stocking her hand with his thumb.

"I'm sorry Liz. I'm sorry I couldn't love you like you loved me. I did love you, just not in same way you loved me. You were one of my best friends and I'm going to keep fighting, for you and for those who have already died". John leaned forwards and he gave to Liz what he denied her the night before she died, a single kiss. John stood up straight and letting go of Liz's hand, he wiped away his tears. "I'm going to miss you, more then you know, goodbye Liz". He slowly raised the white sheet back over her head and lay it gently on to her face again. John turned and left the room, back in to the cold and dark corridors before making his way back to the aide station and then from there, to the command room. Once again, the room went silent as John entered. He could see that most of them, including Bedell and Perry, had been there through out the night. John found Bedell, his eyes red with tiredness, standing over on of the solders on the computers. Bedell stood and looked ready to send John away again. "Bedell, I'm sorry for yesterday. I shouldn't have pulled the gun on you". Bedell shook his head and pulled out John's pistol and handed it out to him. "If it was my kid, I would have done the same". John took the pistol and put it in the back of his jeans before sitting at one of the computers and continuing the search for his son.

For over a month, John searched and searched for his son. Everywhere from Skynet outposts to abandoned warehouses were searched, but their was no evidence to Kyle's location. Even the T nine hundreds had disappeared. They attacked and destroyed another three bunkers, killing all of their inhabitants and taking no loses themselves, before all nineteen of them disappeared. John guessed that the T nine hundred attacks were merely a test of Skynet's to see how effective they were, so he once again set to work on hacking the T nine hundreds chip, and one by one, hacked his way in to its many files. John eventually found what he was looking for, the blueprints to the machines design, so he could find a weakness that he and the resistance could exploit. He found that they were immune to EMP as each and every circuit in its metal body simply temporally shutdown when an EMP blast was detected, rendering EMP attacks useless against it. Once the EMP blast had gone, the machine simply powered up again.

Also, the machines armour was so thick and resistant to heat, it would take nearly a hundred hits from a single plasma rifle on the same spot of armour to piece it, so John ordered William, who was still grieving for the loss of his sister Liz, to come up with a new weapon to fight them with. But as William slowly tried to find away to build a weapon capable of destroying them, Skynet began to mass produce the new machines. After another long day, in which his search for Kyle was again a failure, John walked backwards and forwards along the command room, his arms folded, while Perry watched. "Connor, your should have gone home an hour ago". John stopped and turned to face him, he could feel how tired he was. He never slept well, not since he was a kid, but with his nightmares and Kyle's kidnapping, sleeping had been more of a problem.

"Don't tell me when I should have gone home Perry. My son's still missing, and I'm going to find him". Perry groaned loudly, and quickly looked away as John angrily stared at him. "Sir, I hate to be the one to say this, but its been a over a month now. It's doubtful that we'll ever find him". Perry waited for the inevitable backlash from John, but though John didn't like what he said, he couldn't help but feel he was right, so he didn't say anything. John continued to pace along the room, ignoring anything else Perry said. As he walked again around the room, he couldn't help but feel he was letting Cameron down. She hadn't recovered from Kyle's loss and spend all of her time locked in their room, not allowing John or Allison to be close to her. He had to go home every night and watch his wife break down in to tears, and he was unable to comfort her in any way. Suddenly, the computers in the room powered down, drowning the room in almost complete darkness. The only light came from the poor quality lights on the ceiling, and the flashlights from the rifles in the guards hands, who turned them on the moment the computers died down. John and Perry looked around as the men and women in the room tried and failed to turn the computers back on before they looked at each other. They knew that is was Skynet again and they knew it was listening to everything that was being said. "Everyone, be quiet!".

John walked in to the middle of the room and as the wall screen began to flash, he wished he had Cameron there with him so he could hold her hand. The screen flashed again and again, showing nothing at first but then an image came up, showing his son Kyle. John felt his legs get weaker as he was seeing his son was still alive. Kyle was sitting on the floor, playing with some plastic blocks. John felt the people in the room stare once again at him but for the first time, he didn't care. His son was alive and that was all that mattered. Then the image disappeared and was replaced by numbers, set out as coordinates. "Someone copy those now". The coordinates disappeared as quickly as they appeared. The screen flashed again and then the computers in the room came to life again. "Somebody find out where the coordinates point to". John waited as people immediately ran back to their computers and he could see Perry looking at him, John guessed Perry knew what he was thinking. One of the solders then looked up from his computer, "Sir, the coordinates point to a old Skynet factory in Burbank". John nodded and looked to Perry, who immediately shook his head. "No Connor, it's a trap. If you go there, they'll kill you, and your son". John shook his head and walked for the door. "Does it look like I care. If there's any chance Kyle's there, then I'm going". Perry stopped John from leaving by blocking his way to the door.

"Connor, just think about it. It's got to be a trap. You don't know for sure if Kyle's there or not. If you want to send someone to search it then fine. I'll send one of our search teams but you can't go". John pushed passed him and stepped in to the corridor, before stopping and turning around and looking back inside. "I'm going to get my son, your in charge until I get back". John ignored the shocked looks on all their faces and walked to the armoury. He hurriedly grabbed a plasma rifle before moving towards the entrance of the power plant. As he approached, he spotted Bedell and Lauren waiting for him. Bedell, like John, was holding his own plasma rifle and was ready to move out. "What are you doing here Bedell?". Bedell checked to make sure he had everything and nodded towards the entrance. "Perry tells me that you want to march deep into Skynet territory to a point that a set of coordinates indicate the machines are holding your son, who might be already dead and not even at the coordinates. Does that sound like the right suicide mission your about to start out on?" They both stared at him, hoping that they were wrong. "Yes, that's right, but it doesn't explain what your doing here". Bedell and Lauren both smiled.

"You didn't really expect us to let you go alone did you?, I'm going with you, and so are they!". Bedell pointed behind him and as John turned, he could see ten solders walking slowly toward him, all ready to go. John turned back to Bedell, seeing a smile on his face. "Your already thinking of a way to talk us out of going with you but don't bother trying. It will be easier to move the twelve of us instead of an entire platoon of troops and besides, this is for your son and we know how much this means to you John". John felt a little relived and grateful for Bedell being there, but something wasn't right. "Who put you up to this?". Bedell looked a little offended and looked to Lauren , who smiled at him. "Allison did or course. She's spending most of her time making sure Cameron's alright. She asked us to look out for you so here we are". John rolled his eyes and smiled. Allison had looked out for him ever since he adopted her when she was seven, and now she was fifteen years old and still looking out for her old man. "Thanks, I don't know what I'd do with out you lot. It's been hard since Liz died, so thanks". Bedell gave a nod and moved to the ten solders behind him, and began to brief them. Lauren pulled John towards her, out of ear shot from Bedell. "John, I don't need to tell you how crazy this all is, so just be careful and bring my future husband back with you". John's eyes widened and he looked to Bedell, who didn't see them talking and then turned back to Lauren. "You two are getting married, I didn't know things were that serious. Congratulations!". Lauren smiled and held out her left hand, showing John a gold ring.

"It's nothing special, but I love him and that's all that matters in the end. That's what got you and Cameron through this whole thing, love?". John nodded and looked towards the brown string around his own finger, identical to the one Cameron has on hers. The simple brown sting looked poor compared to the gold ring Lauren had, but neither John nor Cameron considered removing the string from their fingers. It was those small bits of string that they put on each others fingers in their wedding day. John nodded his head, remembering how it was his love for Cameron that is what kept him alive through all these years of fighting the machines. "Love is all you need in the end, nothing else really matters. Lauren smiled and kissed John on the cheek. "Go get your son, before you lose Cameron as well". Lauren moved to kiss Bedell goodbye before she headed off towards the aide stations. John turned at began walking up the ramp and outside. As John Bedell and the others in the squad stepped outside in to the cold air, a flash of lighting was spotted in the distance, followed by a blast of thunder and heavy rain. Ignoring the cold and the rain, John lead Bedell and the others away from Serrano point and towards Burbank. John instantly regretted not telling Cameron or Allison where he was going. He knew Allison would have tried to talk him out of it and stay at home and he knew Cameron wouldn't have even filched at his words. Cameron had lost touch with everything and everyone around her as she was slowly dying of a broken heart and if he could get Kyle back, he could save Cameron as well.

The journey in to Burbank took almost four days. John remembered he time it would have taken him a hour or so to drive there, but now, he had to walk through ruined buildings and underground tunnels to avoid a confrontation with the machines. As much as he wanted to destroy every single machine he came across, John always thought of his family, of Cameron, Allison and Kyle and once he thought of them, he remembered how much they all meant to him, so John kept his head down and pushed on towards the coordinates they were given. They passed numerous machine patrols, made up T eight hundreds and T six hundreds.

Thankfully, they saw none of the dreaded T nine hundreds, which could easily kill them all. On the forth day, the group emerged from an old tunnel in to the light, and as they took the light in, they could see in the distance the Skynet factory they were going to. They crouched just inside the tunnel entrance as an HK tanks passed by before looking out again. The Factory was heavily guarded. John had tried twice to destroy it in the past, but both attacks were pushed back with heavy causalities. At least ten HK tanks patrolled the defence grid around the factory and all through out the ruined landscape before the factory, were large gun emplacements, set up to fire instantly at anything that moved or looked suspicious. Just when John and Bedell moved to step put of the tunnel, three of the gun emplacements fired towards a ruined house nearby, destroying what little was left of it. T eight hundreds moved towards the ruined building to inspect it and walked away again moments later.

There didn't seem to be any bodies when the dust cleared, so John guessed that the machines had seen a rat move and fired and destroyed the building thinking it was a resistance solder. "Anyone see a way across?". Bedell stepped out in to the open and moved to the left to get a better look over the landscape. He took great care to not be seen by the gun emplacements and after a few moments, returned to the tunnel entrance. "There's a trench!, it goes all the way to the factory, but theirs not enough room for all of us". John groaned. They were already deep inside Skynet territory and there were only eleven of them. Now he was being told that he could take everyone with him. "How many of us and get through undetected?". Bedell looked back towards the factory and ducked with the others as another Tank passed by. "With out being seen, two, maybe three, the others will have to stay here". John nodded and looked at the solders. All of them looked nervous to be alone this deep in to Skynet territory.

"Okay, me, Bedell and Harper will go, the rest of you, stay out of sight and wait till we get back. If we don't make it out then….". "Then we'll come in guns blazing and get you out sir". There was a small murmur of laughter in the tunnel, which quickly subsided but the smiles on their faces remained. "Thank you, but I don't want you to throw your lives away so if we don't come back, get yourselves back to Serrano point". There's smiles remained fixed as they moved back in to the tunnel, out of sight. "We're not going back with out you sir, if you don't go back, none of us do". John didn't have a chance to argue as they disappeared in to the darkness, leaving John, Bedell and Harper alone. "Bedell, lead the way, we'll follow". Bedell, holding his plasma rifle ready, moved out of the tunnel and kept himself low. When he reached the rubble he used earlier to look over the landscape, he nodded to John, who moved to join him. Bedell did the same to Harper, who took his place on John's other side. Bedell nodded his head over the top of their hiding place. As John looked over, he saw that the trench Bedell wanted to go through was little more then three feet deep, which would force them to crawl. Even worse, the trench itself twisted and turned all over the place, taking them close to at least three of the machines gun emplacements. "Connor, I'll go first". Before John could agree to it, Bedell dropped down and crawled slowly in to the trench. Once he was safety in, he waved for John to follow and John crawled towards the trench. Pushing rocks out of his way, he dragged himself slowly forwards and dropped in to the trench.

The first thing John hit wasn't the bottom, but water. As he went in head first, he fought to keep his face out of the muddy water. He failed at this as he fell forwards, and briefly, he shook to get his head above the water again, only to be helped by Bedell. Like John, Bedell had fallen head first in to the trench and was briefly submerged beneath the water. "Not exactly what we had in mind was it!". He looked strangely cheerful, but Bedell always was cheerful these days, despite everything. John guessed that it was because he and Lauren were to be married that made him more cheerful then he used to be. John and Bedell both waited for Harper to join him, which he did a minute later. John and Bedell moved to stop him from going head first in to the water, so he at least looked dry, while John and Bedell were wet. Before they could move, another Tank moved by, shaking the trench and throwing the water all over the place. Harper reached to a cross he had around his neck and began to pray. Despite living with Americans for a long time, his Irish accent was still strong. John and Bedell looked to where they had to go, and saw that the entire trench, at least all the way to a corner, was full of water.

"Okay, we better stay low and move slowly. And watch out for rats". He heard Harper say something about not liking rats as John moved first along the trench, keeping all his body but his head beneath the water. Bedell was right behind him and Harper slowly followed him. It took them a lot longer then any of them wanted to get through the trench. Machine patrols were more numerous closer to the factories, to protect them from what exactly John was trying to do now, break inside it. They only managed to move a few feet before they were forced to stop and remain still as the machines moved over the trenches, sometimes even stepping right over John. It was strange to be so close to T six hundreds and T eight hundreds and not have them know they were there. Their were hundreds of rats all around them, and they did their best to avoid them as they moved. Slowly but surely, John led them past the first two gun emplacements with out any problems but the third and final gun emplacement put them in the line of fire of the machines, who could clearly see in to the trench from where they were positioned. "We can't move forwards, we're right in their line of sight". They were shivering now, the water was so cold it was becoming unbearable. John moved aside to allow Bedell to pass so he could see the machine position. After a while, he turned back, shaking his head.

"Their not going to move or look away. If we destroy them, we'll draw all the machines to us and we won't last two seconds". John's teeth began to clatter together as he thought on what to do. "Well we can't wait them out, we'll freeze to death if we don't move". Bedell nodded his head and looked back over to the machines. After a few minutes, Bedell came back, his teeth clattering together as well. "Connor, Its about thirty feet to a turn, if you can hold your breath, we could swim". John, who was already stone cold, didn't have any intension of going underwater, especially with all the rats that were around them, which had become more numerous the closer to the factory they got. "Is there no other way?". Bedell shook his head. "We've got three choices. We go underwater, we go back or we can make a run for it". John hoped that running for it would be a realistic idea, but the gun emplacement being so close would kill them easily. Nodding his head, John moved ahead of Bedell and began taking deep breaths.

"I'll go first, see you in a minute". John tried to sound confidant about what he was going to do but in reality, he didn't know if he could hold his breath long enough. He remembered saving Cameron from the lake years ago, but he wasn't as young as he used to be. With one last glance at Bedell and Harper, John took a deep breath and disappeared under the water. Using his hands to feel his way through the trench, he moved forwards as quickly as possible, hoping the machines couldn't see him. He expected the machines to kill him any moment and he was quickly needing air. He edged further along, hoping to hit the end and safety but still their was nothing but more water. John was getting desperate now, he needed air. Just as he was forced to the surface to breath, his head hit solid rock. John broke out of the water, clutching his head and taking some much needed breaths. He looked up and out of the trench and was thankful that he could see any machines, he had made it through. Looking back along the trench, he could see he only moved thirty feet from where he started. It seemed a lot longer when he was struggling to breathe. Holding his hand to his head, he felt blood flowing from the wound, but it wasn't bad.

He looked back along the trench and waved his arm, and he noticed a little movement in the water, telling him Bedell was on his way. It took nearly a minute for Bedell to hit John and he came from under the water panting for air. "Bastard was a lot longer then I thought, are you alright". He point to John's head, but John pushed his hand away and waved again for Harper to follow. Another moment in the water told him Harper was moving. "I'll be fine, I've suffered worse then this". John rubbed his head and noticed that rats had begun to swarm nearby, drawn to the smell of the blood. They couldn't exactly kill the rats with out making enough noise to draw the attention of the machines nearby, and their were too many to kill, hundreds of them filled the trench. Suddenly, Harper sprung from the water gasping for air. He was only half way along the trench and he screamed out as the machines spotted him. John and Bedell could do nothing as the gun emplacement they had just passed fired at Harper, hitting him in the chest and tearing his body apart. The trench, only moments before was brown with mud and water, was now red with Harpers blood. The rats lost interest in John's head wound and moved towards Harpers remains, leaving John and Bedell alone. "Fucking machines!". Bedell repeated those words as John quickly led the way along the trench, away from the approaching machines who had come to search the trench where Harper was killed.

They finally found the end of the trench, only a few metres from the factory itself. The trench went underground in to the sewers, and neither John nor Bedell had any desire to stay in the water any longer than they had had, so they climbed out and crawled to the nearest cover, which was the front end of a ruined car. Looking over the top, they could see the factory doors were tightly closed and heavily guarded by machine sentries and four gun emplacements. It wasn't any surprise that all the resistance attacks failed in the past. From the outside, this place was more of a fortress then a factory. "We won't get in through that way and I doubt we could get in from underground, so the sewers isn't an option either". Bedell, took his plasma rifle and looked to behind them. "I'll check for any gaps in the wall". He left, leaving John alone by the car.

Despite how cold he was from the water, the thought that Kyle was just inside these walls and the look on Cameron's face when she could see him again brought warmth to his bones, until a chilling voice behind him ripped that warmth away again. "I've been waiting for you, John Connor". John turned on the spot and stared at Catherine Weaver. At first, John was blinded by hatred. The machine before him had killed Liz and taken his son, but then his hate subsided and he noted on how she looked. She looked nothing like she did at Serrano point. Her red hair was not as clean and long as it used to be. It was tangled in some places and a lot of the hair was now more black with dirt and dust then it was red. Her white dress was torn and blackened with dirt. What surprised John the most was her face. Unlike the confident looking machine he saw before Judgement day and a month ago in Serrano point, she didn't look confident or pleased by John's appearance, she looked more depressed then anything else.

"I see you received the coordinates I sent you". Her voice sounded just as depressing as she looked. Bedell retuned seconds later and aimed his rifle at her, but John held his arm up to stop him. "A wise choice John Connor. If you fired, you would be killed within a few moments. I suggest you both lower your rifles and follow me". She turned and began walking towards the main entrance of the factory. "Why should we follow you?, how do we know its not a trap?". The machine stopped and turned, staring at both of them before her eyes fixed on John again. "It is a trap. At least that's what my son thinks. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to your son John Connor, he's quite alright". John's mind was flooded with confusion.

Catherine Weaver not only admitted it was a trap and he'd already walked in to it but she now expected him to follow her. Despite the obvious danger of doing what she said, he wanted to see Kyle again, and so he followed, and so did Bedell, though he did it reluctantly. Catherine Weaver led them towards the factory's large doors, which towered to almost a hundred feet tall. John and Bedell watched as Catherine raised her hand and the machines near the factory's doors powered down, leaving it clear to go inside. She turned towards them and held out her arms. "Your rifles please!". Bedell gave a laugh as if it was a joke and John felt his grip on his rifle tighten. "We're not handing anything over to you, especially our rifles".

Catherine looked at Bedell sternly, and John saw the first sign's of emotion in the machines face, much to his surprise. "If you want to live, then you'll do exactly as I say. The machines here, I can temper oily disable, but the ones inside, my son controls them, and him alone. You will give your rifles to me and put on these handcuffs". Her hands turned to silver and two sets of handcuffs appeared. Bedell gave another laugh and turned away, while John looked at her with a worried look. "your son?".

Catherine turned her gaze to John and looked away again in shame, showing John even more emotion. "You know who my son is John Connor, he hates you as much as you hate him. Now, please give me your rifles and put on the handcuffs. Do what I say and you will see your son again, that I promise you". Bedell laughed again and looked to John, expecting him to say no. His face dropped in to complete shock and surprise as John held out his rifle and took one of the two sets of handcuffs. The handcuffs moved by themselves to bind John's hands together. Being that the handcuffs were technically part of the machine she could control what they did and make them move. John looked up and watched as Catherine held his rifle to her side and the rifle was absorbed in to her body. "Connor, you're mad, I'm not handing mine over, no way". John turned on him quickly, and Bedell took a step back.

"Give her your rifle, and take the handcuffs". Bedell looked from John to Catherine and back to John again, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's an order Bedell, now do it". Bedell just stared at John and he looked down at his rifle, and again, with great reluctance, he held out the rifle. He took the handcuffs and like on John, they moved by themselves to bind his hands together. He watched with disgust as Catherine did the same with his rifle what she did to John's, holding it to the side of her body and it disappeared in to the machine. "You both need to pretend you are my prisoners. Don't say anything once we're inside". This just filled John with more confusion. "I thought you would be in charge". Catherine gave a weak smile. "I used to be in charge, not anymore". She moved to stand behind John and Bedell, placing her hands on to their backs. "Move!, and remember, don't say a word". Catherine's body turned completely silver and she changed in to the body John remembered, Full red hair, a clean white dress and a confident face.

John and Bedell gave awkward glances to one another and walked forwards towards the large doors. Within one of the large doors, was a smaller door, used to allow access to small groups of machines. As they neared, the door opened, a red glow shining out from the inside. John and Bedell slowed their pace as they moved inside the factory. What they saw made John feel sick to his stomach. The entire factory was full of T nine hundreds, all in different stages of development. Some where only just beginning to be assembled, others had their bodies assembled but were awaiting their heads and others were completely assembled and merely waiting for their chips. Their were dozens of factory lines, slowly putting each machine together. John was never great at maths, but at the speed the machines were being created, he guessed that the factory could create at least five thousand T nine hundreds a day. Catherine moved her head forwards so she could speak in to their ears. "Your wondering how many of them there are. One hundred thousand of them will be ready in three days". John and Bedell gave each other concerned glances. They both knew what nineteen T nine hundreds did to six of their bunkers.

In three days, the war would be over, in Skynet's favour. Catherine herself, didn't sound proud by the achievement. She sounded more disappointed then anything else. Catherine pushed them onwards, waving in and out of the factory lines, where they could see discarded and damaged T nine Hundred arms and legs, and even a few head scattered all over the ground. Catherine led them through a door at the end of the factory floor. As soon as the door opened, the group were confronted by T nine hundreds. They were standing in formation, guarding a door in to another room. The lead machine looked at Bedell and then to John, where it's gaze fixed. "Marten Bedell and John Connor. They are to be terminated immediately". The machine raised its two rifles from its legs and aimed each and John and Bedell. They both closed their eyes and waited for death to take them, but Catherine's voice was what they heard next.

"You will stand down at once. They shall be terminated, but only after I interrogate them" John opened his eyes and looked at the machines. As he waited for the lead machines reply, he counted the machines. Their were nineteen of them and John knew he had found the machines that Cameron had confronted over a month ago and who had destroyed dozens of bunkers and killed over two thousand people. For a moment, John thought the T nine hundred would ignore Catherine and fire, but it lowered it's weapons and looked away from John. "Skynet demands John Connor's immediate termination. Once you have extracted information from him, you will terminate him at once".

Catherine nodded her head and the T nine hundreds stepped aside. Catherine gave John and Bedell a push and they walked forwards, through the door and in to the room. Catherine closed and locked the door behind her. John looked around the room and what he saw surprised him. Their was the computers and technical equipment he expected to find, but he also saw a bed, with fresh blankets, a couch and a small kitchen. On the single bench in the kitchen, was a half empty bottle of milk and a box of baby food. John next heard a small laughter come from the end of the room, behind the couch. He got to the other side and there was Kyle, still alive and playing with a plastic toy.

It had been a month since he had lost Kyle and to see him again, pushed all of his other worries and thoughts out of his mind. The handcuffs around his writs tuned to silver and fell to the floor, and it moved quickly in Catherine's direction. John didn't pay any attention as Kyle spotted him and as he recognised his father, held his arms out. With tears falling from his eyes, he bent down and scooped his son in to his arms, holding his tighter then he had ever done before. He never felt more relived then he did now, he had his son back, and he was safe. John turned to Catherine and watched as the handcuffs around Bedell's wrists fell to the floor and they moved across the floor and joined with Catherine's body.

Catherine then held her arms out and their plasma rifles reappeared, and she handed them both to Bedell, who eagerly took them off her. Her body turned again to silver and she reappeared in her previous dirty look. She then turned to John and gave a smile. "I've made sure he was safe from the other machines. He eats every day and is healthy, I made sure of it". John thought Catherine was expecting some gratitude for keeping Kyle safe, but John didn't feel any. "Why did you take him in the first place, And why didn't you kill me you could have done it easily". Catherine actually did look hurt she wasn't getting any thanks for looking after Kyle and folded her arms. "Skynet found out about your son and ordered me to take him and lure you in to a trap. I did what I was told. I might have been able to kill you then, but that wasn't my mission. My mission was to take Kyle". John shook his head in fury. "Did your mission involve killing Liz?". Catherine looked confused for a moment then her face fell to the floor.

"She was Elizabeth Anderson. She got in my way when I was trying to leave. I regret killing her. I am sorry, I know she was a close friend of yours". John didn't except the apology. He was furious that had killed Liz merely because she was in the way. Before he could say anything else, Bedell moved towards John and took his place beside him. "You made yourself look like his daughter Allison, how did you do that". Catherine began to slowly pace the room, her arms folded. "We captured a soldier from your old camp, we found out when your daughter moved to Serrano point, and so my son ordered her to be captured and used to lure you in to a trap like I have done with Kyle. I was unable to capture her, as I did not know what truck she was in. I was only able to cut her face, but it was enough to absorb her DNA and take her appearance". She looked to the door with concern but quickly looked away again. John looked to his son and he pressed his small hands on to his nose, feeling his way across his face.

"If you were going to kill me, you would have done it already. Why am I still alive and why have you given him back to me?". Catherine stopped her pacing and stared at Kyle and even smiled as Kyle was happy to be reunited with his father. "Your still alive John Connor, because I made a mistake. I was sent back to ensure the creation of Skynet, my son. I ensured Skynet became exactly what it was supposed to become, a superior intelligence, with a hunger for learning and knowledge.

In time, Skynet grew to fear humanity, seeing them as a threat to its own existence. It didn't think Humanity would accept an intelligence which was superior to them. So, Skynet decided the ensure its own survival was to destroy Humanity. At the time, I agreed with my son. Then you appeared at Zeira corporation and Skynet became paranoid. I tried to keep it from launching the nuclear weapons until the correct date in 2011,but it refused, and begun the countdown. You know the rest, I chased you and your machine friend and Judgement day occurred. I failed to kill you and you survived".

John felt Goosebumps appear on his skin. Catherine had almost revealed Cameron's past as a machine to Bedell, and he was grateful he didn't say her name. "You were destroyed, at the military base. When we were in the plane, you were destroyed". Catherine laughed softly, though she looked confused on whether she should have laughed or not. "I'm a T one thousand and one. Do you really expect three primitive drones could destroy me?". John smirked at his foolishness. He had fought a T one thousand before Catherine, and he knew they were close to invincible. Catherine again looked to the door, as if she was expecting something to come bursting through it, but her gaze fell back to John. "I retuned to Zeira corporation, or what was left of it, and Skynet, my son, killed her. He killed Savannah". John and Bedell both watched as Catherine burst in to tears and fell to the floor in front of them. John didn't know whether the tears were fake of genuine, but he had seen those kind of tears before from Cameron, so he knew they were genuine.

John lay Kyle down on the couch and nodded to Bedell to sit next to him. Bedell lowered Handed John's rifle to him and sat next to Kyle, tickling him under the chin but keeping his own rifle and gaze on Catherine. John, much to his own surprise, found himself crouched before Catherine, the same machine who took his son and killed his best friend, and he felt sorry for her. "Savannah. I met her once, at doctor Sherman's office. I taught her to tie her shoe's". Catherine smiled through her tears and sat upright to face him. "I didn't know I could feel emotions until I saw her body. Skynet broke her neck and just left her there alone. He came and when I asked why he killed her, he just laughed and said all humans deserve to die, even her. She wasn't my real daughter, but I cared, more then I thought I did". John watched as Catherine struggled to control her emotions. "It was then, when I saw Savannah's body, I knew I created a monster, and I knew I made a mistake, and I knew, that you, John Connor, you were the only hope I had at destroying Skynet, my son".

John would love more then anything to kill Skynet and end this was. He wanted to ensure Allison and Kyle had everything he didn't when he was growing up, and that main thing he wanted for them was to live with fear of the machines. But he was still curios about one thing. "You haven't told me why you've given Kyle back to me". Catherine wiped away her tears and looked at the tears on her hands with confusion, not knowing where the tears came from before she looked up again. "I took care of Savannah for a long time. I watched her grow and learn and I didn't understand what I was feeling about her, I didn't understand emotions, I still don't understand them. I know what its like to lose a child and I regret taking Kyle from you. My son ordered it, and I obeyed. I wish I hadn't and I am sorry". John, despite his anger towards the machine, nodded his head and accepted her apology.

"We need your help. We can't let those T nine hundreds leave the factory. We have no way to fight them and Skynet will win". Catherine nodded her head again and got to her feet, walked to the nearest computer and began typing with remarkable speed. "Ever since Savannah died, Skynet has never trusted me. He's kept a watch on me every day since then. Now, it's sent those nineteen T nine hundreds here to keep an eye on me". Catherine finished what she was doing and pulled out a portable hard drive and returned to John. She held it up and examined it closely. "It never occurred to me I would be doing what I am doing now". She handed the hard drive to John, and watched as he looked at it. "On it, you will find the designs to the Isotope rifle. T nine hundreds are vulnerable to this weapon. The rifle works just as well as a plasma one does against the T eight hundreds". John nodded and held the drive up so he could look at it closely. "Thank you". Catherine shook her head and looked away from him.

"One the hard drive, you'll also find everything you need to know on the Cheyenne Mountain complex. That's where the system core of Skynet is located. If you destroy the core, you'll destroy Skynet". Bedell made a noise, something between a gasp and a laugh. "Yeah right. Connor might be able to put the fact that you're a machine aside but I won't. From what I've heard, you created Skynet, so you're the one responsible for everything that has happened. Billions are dead because of you, billions!". Catherine turned her head away and John saw she was close to crying again. "I've had a long time to think about it, about what I did. I can't change the past, but I can help shape the future. Kill Skynet and end what I started". Bedell shook his head and went back to keeping Kyle entertained. John eyes widened as he stared at the hard drive. If what Catherine was saying was true, then he held in his hand what he needed to win the war and end Skynet forever. He placed the hard drive safely in to his pocket. "Alright, what happens now?". Catherine's head turned again towards the door. "Now, you take your son, go back to Serrano point and you kill Skynet".

John and Bedell watched as Catherine walked towards the door, opened it and disappeared outside. The next thing they heard was the sound of plasma fire and the sound of metal being torn apart. For over a minute, they listened to the continued noise and then the door open and Catherine stepped back inside. All over her body were holes at where their plasma shots had hit. The holes slowly got smaller and smaller until they disappeared and Catherine turned to Bedell. "In the factory, you will find a large number of nuclear power cells waiting to be installed in to the new T nine hundreds. Retrieve some of them and place them in the centre of the factory. Go!". Bedell raised his eye brows and looked to John for instructions. John nodded and Bedell left John's rifle next to the couch and left the room. John turned and took the rifle and attached it to it's sling and hung it on his back. He then picked Kyle up and held him close to his chest as he turned to Catherine. She stared at Kyle with a puzzled looking her face.

"I know that your daughter Allison is adopted and I'm curious to know who Kyle's mother is". John thought the answer would have been obvious. "His mother is Cameron". Catherine looked up from Kyle with an even more puzzled look. "That is impossible. Cameron may be Kyle's adopted mother, but she can not his biological mother. She can not have children. Like me, she is a machine and machines can not reproduce like humans can". John shook his head and looked down at his son. Kyle was getting sleepy and his chocolate brown eyes were slowly closing. "Cameron hasn't been a machine for a long time. Cameron is his mother. She carried him for nine months, gave birth to him, she's loves him. Kyle is her son". Catherine looked back down with Kyle with wide eyes, and watched as Kyle fell asleep in the comfort of his fathers arms. Once he was fast asleep, Catherine looked backup to John, her face full of regret. "But how? How can she be….human?" Catherine looked in to John's eyes and knew he spoke the truth but could not understand what he was telling her.

With a puzzled look on her face Catherine went on, "I saw her when I took Kyle. I found it strange she cared so much for him and I saw how hurt and terrified she was. I now know she feels the same for Kyle like I do for Savannah. Take Kyle back to her and tell her I'm sorry for what I did". John nodded and with Kyle asleep in his arms, he walked out of the door and in to the room, where the remains of the nineteen T nine hundreds were scattered all over the floor. Catherine did not simply disable the machines, she had torn them to pieces. All of them had been torn in half at the torso and their arms and legs were scatted everywhere. All of their heads had been torn from their necks. Catherine after all was a T one thousand and one and vastly superior to the T nine hundreds, so the demise of these machines came as no surprise to him. Catherine took the lead again and led John back in to the main factory, where the automated machines continued putting T nine hundreds together. They continued in to the centre of the factory and found Bedell standing guard next a pile of nuclear power cells. Catherine knelt down and picked up on of the power cells. John took his place next to Bedell and watched as she worked.

"What are you doing?". Catherine ignored him and after turning the Power cell in her hand, she dropped it in to the pile below. "We have about five minutes before they explode. I suggest we leave immediately". Bedell looked down at the bomb he helped to create and looked back to Catherine in complete horror. "Is this place going to blow like a nuke?". Catherine, despite her depressed and dirty look, forced a sly smile on to her face. "In a manner of speaking, yes!. It is the only weapon strong enough to destroy this factory and all the machines within". John, wanting to get Kyle as far a way from the blast as possible, began to run for the factory doors with Bedell close behind. They reached the large doors within a few seconds and with a wave of Catherine's hand, the large doors began to open. "I've disabled the machines outside. RUN!".

Catherine shouted her last word and as John turned, he saw her arm turn in to a silver blade and she swung it and decapitated a T nine hundred. A large number of T nine hundred who had already been assembled had been activated and were moving to prevent their escape. "I'll hold them off, now go!". The doors had now opened far enough to allow them to run, and Bedell was pulling John out of the factory, "Come on Connor, we've got to go". The doors began to close again, quicker then they had opened and Catherine was quickly going to be trapped inside. "Get out here, you'll be trapped". Catherine destroyed two more machines in quick succession with her arms before turning for the final time to John. "Get your son out of here, and kill mine!". Catherine swung both her arms and tore another machine in half who was about to shoot John and it was the last he saw of her as the doors closed. With no other option with the nuclear power cells about to explode. John turned and ran with Bedell. Kyle had woken up in the commotion and was crying loudly, but John couldn't stop to comfort him. They ran past the inactive T six hundreds and T eight hundreds they had so carefully crept past earlier as fast as they could towards the tunnel in the distance where their squad was waiting for them. They ran and they ran as fast as they could, jumping over the trenches they had used to pass the machines.

They came within sight of the tunnel and saw three of their men crouched at the entrance of the tunnel. "GET BACK INSIDE, GET INSIDE!". They did as they were told and ran back inside just as John and Bedell reached them and entered the tunnel. The ground began to shake and the tunnel shook as the factory exploded. The tunnel began to collapse and John made sure to use himself to protect Kyle from the falling debris. The soldiers cried out in confusion and terror large chunks of debris fell on them from above. John fell as a large piece of derbies hit his back he used all his strength to not crush Kyle beneath him. The shaking eventually subsided as the explosion did the same and John then listened for any noise. He could hear numerous moans and groans and recognised one of them as Bedell. But Kyle wasn't making any noise and he wasn't moving under him for that matter. Panicking, John mustered all his strength and pushed himself upwards s and pushed most of the debris off him. He looked down at Kyle and saw his chocolate brown eyes gazing up at him. John had used himself to shield Kyle from the falling debris and he was completely unharmed, more confused and scared then anything else, but he was fine.

"Connor!, say something!". Bedell's voice rang through the half collapsed tunnel and he could see the shadows of at least ten others all around him. He looked down at Kyle and gave him a smile to assure him he was okay. "Over here, We're alright". Bedell made his way through the darkness and found him seconds later. He was covered in a lot of dust. "I thought we'd lost you for a minute". John shook his head and Bedell helped him to his feet. "You can't get rid of me that easily. I've got to get this little guy home to his family". It took some time to dig their way back through the tunnel back home, nut as they set off, John looked back to the collapsed tunnel that nearly killed him and back to the factory, to where Catherine Weaver had given her own existence to ensure he escaped and John, who hated her more then anything in the world for the past month, was sorry she was dead.

With his son in his arms and the means to defeat Skynet in his pocket, John, Bedell and the rest of the squad headed back the way they came. They were curious to know what had happened in the factory to make it explode the way it did, but both John and Bedell stayed silent on the matter and both remained focused to get back to their loved ones, Bedell to Lauren and John to Cameron. After a day's journey, they came across a resistance patrol who was moving to inspect the factory's ruins and upon realising who John was, they turned around and escorted him out of Skynet territory. Soon, John, Kyle and Bedell were in the back of the truck and were closing in on Serrano point. It was the middle of the night and John was thankful for it as he didn't want large crowds to be their to greet them. Instead, there were just the usually large number of soldiers on guard duty. The truck came to a halt and John jumped out the back and turned to take a sleeping Kyle from Bedell. When they saw Kyle, the soldiers on duty began to laugh and cheer. John usually didn't like soldiers cheering him when he succeeds at something but this time, he didn't care. He had his son back and Kyle was minutes away from being with Cameron again.

John marched straight inside to keep Kyle out of the cold and down the ramp, where he was greeted by Lauren. She beamed at him and after giving Kyle a glance, she patted John on the arm before running to embrace Bedell, who had followed. John turned straight for home and walked as quick as he could, nodding at passing soldiers who patted him on the back and cheered as he past. He eventually came to the corridor to home and was surprised to see it was still full of people, most of them sleeping. Kyle yawned as he woke and looked around at his surroundings, not knowing where he was now. John slowly made his way through the group and saw that a boy was watching him. The boy, little more then six years old, shook his sleeping mother awake and pointed at him, "Mommy, he's back". The mother gasped loudly as she saw him and woke the person next to her and it went on. John couldn't stop them as they woke the people next to them and quickly, they were all awake. Most of them just watched but others stood up and came to see Kyle.

John pushed his way forwards towards his home, sometimes forcibly pushing some of the people out of the way to get home. He finally got to the door and pushed it open after forcing himself past someone more then twice his body weight and kicked the door shut behind him. He looked first to the couch and saw Allison was asleep, wrapped tightly in her sleeping bag and with an extra blanket covering her. John was surprised that him kicking the door shut and the commotion outside the room hadn't woken her and was glad for it, because the person he really wanted to see was in the next room. John carried Kyle to his and Cameron's room. Pushing the door open, he saw Cameron was asleep on the bed. John walked over and saw Cameron skin was pale white and she had been crying before she fell asleep. In her hand was Kyle's favourite teddy bear, which she hadn't let go of since Kyle was taken from her. The moment Kyle saw his mother through the dark, he reached out to her with his arms. Being so small, he couldn't reach her and so he cried out to her.

Cameron's eyes shot open and she looked up from the bed and saw John with Kyle in his arms. "KYLE!". Cameron scrambled out of bed and reached out for him and Kyle was happy to be taken back in to his mothers arms. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she held her tightly in her arms determined to never let him go again. Allison was woken up by Kyle's laughing and ran in to the room, where she cried out with joy at seeing her brother again. John backed away to allow Cameron some space as she and Allison fussed over Kyle, who was more then happy with the attention. Cameron tore her tired eyes away from Kyle and looked to her husband. To John, the look of happiness and relief on her face as well as the deep undying love for him was all the reward he needed for bringing Kyle back to her.

The next morning, John stood In the centre of the command room, surrounded by his commanders and generals. On the wall screen, was the schematics to the Cheyenne Mountain complex. It was more of a fortress then anything else, built deep in to the mountain, making it impossible to assault it from the air. John had just informed all of them that this was Skynet's location, and this revelation had brought out mixed emotions from all present. They could see the end of the war was near, but they could also see that the task was near impossible. The complex was defended by more machines then John could count and it made the battles of Avila beach and Topanga canyon look like walks in the park. "Everyone here knows what I am telling you is true. If we take out that base, we destroy Skynet and the war is over. If we destroy Skynet, every machine across the planet will shut down.

They wont have a purpose any more". Their were nods of agreement and mummers of concern. Taking out the base was a huge gamble. Not only would hundreds of thousands of men be needed to assault the defence grid, their was a guarantee that thousands of solders would die in the battle. But to John, this was a small price to pay for finally destroying Skynet and ending the war it started. John looked to the door as he saw some movement out of the corner of his eye and Cameron entered the room, carrying a sleeping Kyle in her arms. Cameron's skin, which the previous night, had been pale white and cold, was now full of colour and warmth. There were cheers from everyone present as Cameron took her place next to John, grasping his hand with her free one. "This war is going to end soon, one way or another, this war will end!". Everyone cheered and with a wave of his hand, they all set to work. It would take time to assemble enough resources and troops but John could see the end before him and with Cameron back by his side, nothing was going to stop him.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Cameron awoke early in the morning but didn't open her eyes. The first thought to enter her mind was to go right back to sleep, but she knew she'd be fighting to do just that, so decided against it. She realised John wasn't asleep next to her as she moved her arm to feel his warm skin, but instead she only felt the blanket she was sleeping under. John must have been called away again in the middle of the night. It had happened a lot in the past few weeks.

John had been called away to take care of matters, such as another Skynet attack or taking out a Skynet base, leaving Cameron alone at night. Cameron always felt lonely when he was called away, but she didn't mind because he always came back to her. Today, she again felt alone but as she moved her arm along the bed where John normally slept, she hit something which shouldn't have been there. Opening her eyes, she looked to what she was touching. At first, she didn't know what it was , but as her eyes gained focus, she saw a single red rose, with a note attached to the stem. Wondering what was written, she sat up and holding the blanket to cover he naked body, she took to rose and couldn't help but smile. Taking the note, she unfolded it and read John's untidy handwriting…

_Cameron _

_This rose is just a tiny fragment of my infinite love for you. I can't even bare to consider what my life would have been like with out you by my side. __I love you with all my heart. _

_Love from John x_

Cameron read and re read to note over a dozen times before setting it aside and taking to rose again. She intertwined it between her fingers and couldn't keep the smile from he face. It was still sometimes hard to believe that she had married John, considering her machine past, but as John had said in the note about her, she couldn't imagine her life with out him in it. She couldn't take her eyes off the red petals, the red reminding her of the red flower petals which she had in her hair on her and John's wedding day. Hearing a muffled laugh from the next room, Cameron slid out of bed and reached for some fresh underwear and clothes. The moment she stood up straight, she felt like she was going to vomit. Holding her hands to her stomach and breathing deeply, the feeling slowly subsided.

She'd had this feeling for the past few weeks now and the only time she remembered feeling like this was when she was pregnant with Kyle. It hadn't actually occurred to her that she could be pregnant again, she just thought she had a stomach bug or something. She decided that she would go and see Lauren, to make sure. The thought of possibly having another baby was overwhelming so she quickly pulled on her clothes. Pulling them on, she walked over to the cradle, expecting to find Kyle fast asleep, but instead saw an empty cradle. She quickly remembered that Kyle had slept in Allison's room to give her and John some privacy the previous night so she walked in to Allison's room, finding them both on the couch. Kyle was sitting with his back to the arm of the chair while Allison sat at the other side of the couch, holding her hands out ready. "Okay Kyle, throw the ball to me, throw the ball!". Kyle was holding a small green tennis ball in his hands and seemed reluctant to part with his toy.

"Come on Kyle, throw the ball. I'll give it back, I promise". Kyle shook his head and held the ball behind him, out of Allison's reach. "Oh fine, I give up, you keep it!". At ten months old, Kyle was a curious and playful baby, enjoying every moment he had when he played with his parents and his sister. He tried every day to walk, but he hadn't managed it yet by himself. Allison turned and spotted Cameron in the doorway. "Mom, you don't look so good, are you okay?". Cameron nodded her head and made her way over to Kyle, who held his arms up to let her pick him up. "I'm okay, just tired". Allison frowned and made her way over to Cameron and put her hand on her forehead. "Hey, I said I'm fine". "You're a good liar mom when your talking to other people, but when your talking to me, your rubbish. I'm a medic so let me do my thing". Cameron gave up and allowed Allison to do her checks while she entertained Kyle, who was busy hitting Cameron softly on the head with his ball. "You've got a high temperature and you look pale, so what's up?". Cameron stopped Kyle hitting her on the head and took the ball from him and moved it around his head as he tried to take it back.

"What do you think about having another little brother or sister?". Cameron waited nervously for her answer, and was relived to see her smile. "Your pregnant again, that's brilliant!, when did you find out?, does dad know?". Cameron shook her head and lowered Kyle back to the couch, pinning him down and tickling him on the belly. "I'm not sure if I am yet or not. The last time I felt like this was when I was pregnant with Kyle, so I might be. I'm going to go see Lauren and find out for sure. It might just be a stomach bug". Allison shook her head and moved to pull on her own shoes. "I hope you are having another baby. It's fun playing with Kyle, it gives me something to do when I've got free time. I hope it's a girl this time". Cameron smiled at the thought. Kyle looked a lot like John, almost identical. So if she was to have a girl, she wondered if she would look like her. "Come on Kyle, lets go see auntie Lauren!". Kyle clapped his hands in excitement and held his arms up to be picked up. Cameron did so and walked to the door, only for Kyle to cry out, "Ma ma, Ted Ted".

Kyle pointed to the floor behind her to his teddy bear, which he refused to go anywhere without. Allison finished with her shoes, picked up the bear and handed it to a happy Kyle. "Ted Ted!". Allison shook her head and walked out of the room, holding it open for Cameron. As they stepped in to the corridor, four guards who were waiting in the corridor stood to attention and waited for Cameron and Allison to move. Everywhere John, Cameron or Allison went, they were followed and guarded by two soldiers at all times. It was Perry's idea to guard to Connor's like this and despite all three of them not liking to idea of being followed everywhere, they accepted it because Perry and the other generals all felt better to have the Connor's guarded. Cameron and Allison walked side by side towards the aide stations. Kyle was looking over Cameron's shoulder and watching the soldiers marching behind her, though they did keep their distance. He always watched them with a mixture of fear and curiosity by the way they looked with their rifles and armour.

They trio arrived at the aide station just in time for Allison's shift and she immediately turned to Cameron as they arrived. "I've got to do my rounds. I'll see you later mom, bye". Allison hugged Cameron and then kissed Kyle goodbye on the cheek before disappearing through one of the nearby doors. Cameron walked towards the back of the aide station, and glanced at the last bed on the left where she first held her son, with a mixture of joy in remembrance of the moment and anticipation of doing it again to her second child. Stepping in to the back room, she found Lauren with her head on the desk, fast asleep. "Lauren". She didn't respond, and Cameron heard Lauren snore softly. "Lauren, wake up!". Cameron taped Lauren on the side of the head and Lauren sat bolt upright, looking around wildly for the source of her disturbance. At spotting Cameron, she rubbed her eyes and yawned loudly. "Sorry, I was up all last night giving a guy his new liver. I still don't get how he could have drunk so much to screw it up, where the hell did get all that alcohol".

Cameron laughed and shuck her head, "He probably got it off another idiot who thought alcohol is more important then anything else in life". Lauren smirked and sat back, rubbing her hands across her own six month pregnant belly. "I've already named her. She's going to be called Anne, after my mom. Martin doesn't know yet". Cameron smiled and remembered the brief encounter she had with Lauren and her family before Judgement day. "Why doesn't Bedell know?". Lauren smirked and pointed to a blue dress, which was hanging from a hook on the wall. It was Laurens wedding dress. "You know we're moving to fight Skynet tomorrow, well Marten thinks theirs a small chance he won't come back so he wants to get married before he leaves. We're getting married tomorrow morning. Getting married tomorrow means I can't wear the dress, I don't fit anymore". She pointed to her belly. "He wants an early wedding, I want to call our daughter Anne, he's just goanna have to live with it". Cameron took a seat opposite and lowered Kyle to her lap, who just stared at Lauren with a confused look. "What are you goanna wear now then, if not the dress?". Lauren shrugged her shoulders and stood up.

"Beats me, Martin just says I'll look beautiful in anything, but I'm six month's pregnant and I feel like a whale and I'm still goanna get bigger". She again shrugged her shoulders and smiled to herself. "I don't care really. It's worth it. Just look at you for instance. You were once a machine, incapable of love or emotion and now look at you. You're a living and breathing human being with your own child. I can't wait to see my Anne when she's born". Lauren rubbed her hands across her belly for a few moments before looking up to Cameron. "Sorry, I forgot to ask, did you need something?". Cameron nodded her head and suddenly, she felt extremely nervous. "I think I might be pregnant again. I've been vomiting and feeling sick the last couple of weeks and the only time I remember feeling like this was when I was pregnant with Kyle". Lauren's mouth dropped before she shook her head. "You're unbelievable, you sit there and listen to me ramble on about weddings, come on, lets see if you are or not". Lauren was fighting not to laugh as she walked in to the nearby cupboard and pushed out an ultra sound machine. Cameron picked up Kyle and followed Lauren to the medical bed at the back of the small room.

As Lauren set the machine up, Cameron set a blanket down on to the floor and lowered Kyle on to it, "Okay Kyle. I'm going on to be on the bed. Are you going to be a good boy for mommy and stay here?". Kyle nodded his head and as Cameron stood up, he took advantage to his newly gained freedom and crawled in circles around the blanket, dragging his teddy bear behind him. Lauren nodded towards the bed and Cameron, more nervous now, removed her jacket and lay down and then pulled up her t-shirt. Lauren, with a press of a button, powered the ultra sound machine up and pressed the scanner to Cameron's belly. Cameron forgot how cold the scanner was and gasped loudly as it was pressed to her skin. The screen of the machine was turned away from Cameron, so she waited with increasing nerves as Lauren moved the scanner across her skin. Eventually, a wide smile fixed on Lauren's face. "There's no doubt about it, your definitely pregnant. Congratulations". Cameron's nerves evaporated away in an instant to be replaced by absolute joy. She was having another baby, her and John were to be parents again. "I'd say you were just over eight weeks and … hold on, that's not right!". Cameron froze as Lauren moved herself closer to the screen and pressed down with the scanner on her belly. "Lauren, what is it, what's wrong?". Cameron watched Laurens face, all her joy replaced by fear, but Lauren's face once again turned in to a wide smile as she stood up straight and turned towards her. "There's two heart beats, not one. Twins!, your carrying twins".

Cameron wasn't expecting that, not at all. She half expected that Lauren would say she made a mistake and she wasn't pregnant at all. "Twins, as in two babies?". Lauren laughed as she nodded her head. "Yes, two babies. Your having twins". Cameron held her hands over her mouth to cover her smile and looked towards Kyle on the floor, who stared back with a grin on his face before he looked away to play with his teddy bear again. "You want to see them?". Cameron turned back to Lauren and nodded her head, "Definitely!". Lauren steadied and tightened her hold on the scanner as she tuned the screen so Cameron could see. Cameron couldn't see anything to indicate she was pregnant. All she saw were black and white marks all over the screen, that was until Lauren noticed her puzzled look and pointed to a certain spot on the screen.

As Cameron focussed, she could made out a tiny back spot pulsating . "That's the first one, the second is just behind it, you might not be able to see it, but both hearts are beating okay. I'll get Sidney to take a look. She's dealt with twins before in Eagle Rock. She's coming tonight for the wedding tomorrow, so she can have a look then". Cameron gasped with delight as a second black pulsating dot showed itself from behind the first one, before it disappeared again. "I saw it, I saw them both". Lauren smiled and with a nod from Cameron to show she was finished, she removed the scanner from her belly and turned the machine off. Cameron sat up and got off the bed and knelt down to see Kyle. "You going to have two little brothers or sisters to play with, would you like that?". Kyle didn't pay any attention to her and Cameron stood back up and helped Lauren push the machine back away. "You don't half pick bad times to get pregnant you know. First when we're taking this place, and now just before we move to attack the largest and most heavily fortified Skynet facility in the world". Cameron smiled at the bad timing but didn't really care deep down. She wanted to see John and tell him the good news.

"I've got to go and see John and tell him he's going to be a dad again. I'll see you tomorrow for the wedding". Lauren nodded and hugged Cameron goodbye before sitting back at her desk, looking more exhausted then she did when she woke up. Cameron knelt down and picked up Kyle and turned one final time to Lauren. "Kyle, wave bye bye to Lauren". Kyle waved at her fanatically and laughed triumphantly as Lauren waved back to him. Cameron left and walked down the ward, bringing gazes from the patients in the medical beds. Reaching the end, she looked around for Allison but couldn't see her anywhere. Spotting a free medic nearby, she walked over and the medic looked up with surprise. "I need to speak to my daughter, can you find her and tell her I need to speak with her please. I'll be waiting outside for her".

The medic nodded an quickly ran off to search for Allison and Cameron stepped outside. Her two guards, who were waiting for her stood to attention and waited for Cameron to move. Cameron only had to wait a few minutes for Allison to come running out, wearing her medic clothes and stopped before Cameron and stared at her with anticipation. "Well?". Cameron kept a straight face for as long as she could before a smile broke out and Allison jumped up and wrapped her arms around her. "Yes!, another brother or sister. I can't wait". Cameron nearly fell over and was thankful Allison let go of her. "That's not all you know". Allison's smile lessened slightly as Cameron moved in and held her mouth to Allison's ear and whispered, "It's twins".

As Cameron pulled away, Allison opened her mouth and closed it again several times before she blurted out, "Twins?, YOUR HAVING TWINS!". She spoke so loudly that several passers by looked up and when they spotted Cameron, they hurried away again, muttering quickly to each other. "Great, I wanted to tell John first, and I bet he'll know before I get to the command room". Allison's smile vanished altogether for a moment before she smiled again and she seemed to forget about it altogether. "Your having twins, I can't wait till their born. You better go tell dad, this is brilliant. I'll see you both later, I love you , bye". With out another word, she turned around and disappeared back in to the aide stations.

Cameron nodded towards her two guards and they followed her towards the command room. She arrived ten minutes later, leaving her two guards outside the room where John's two guards were already stationed. Cameron stepped inside to find the room bristling with activity. This didn't come as any surprise to Cameron. With the Resistance moving out tomorrow, the final preparations were still being made. She spotted John in the middle of the room, talking with Perry. She had his back to her so he didn't see her arrive. Cameron made her way over and Kyle playfully waved at everyone they passed. John heard the commotion and turned around to greet them. "Hey, you don't look so good, everything alright?". Cameron nodded her head and looked to Kyle, who dropped his teddy bear and waved his arms at John, "Da da!".

Both John and Cameron smiled as John took Kyle from her and he hugged him tight. "Hey little guy, I hope you've been looking after your mom for me". Kyle nodded his head and began looking around for his teddy bear again, and was happy when Cameron gave it back to him. "John, we need to talk". John looked confused for a moment and then turned to Perry, "Here, can you take him and give us a minute?". John didn't wait for a reply and handed Kyle to Perry who backed away from John and Cameron, looking very uncomfortable to all of a sudden to be holding a baby. "Okay, what's up?". Cameron took John's hand and led him to the far side of the room. Cameron took John's other hand and held both of them in her own as she thought on what exact words she should say. "John, I've just been to see Lauren". John immediately gave her his full attention, as going to see Lauren meant that something had to be wrong. "Okay, what ever it is, we'll get through it, we always do". Cameron shook her head silencing him in an instant. Slowly, she moved his right hand towards her belly and waited for his response. His face was filled with confusion for a moment before a wide smile formed on his face, "Your not?, we're having another baby?".

His response was everything she could have hoped for, as she didn't know if he wanted another child, but she nodded her head causing John's smile to become fixed. John laughed out loud and swept Cameron off her feet, drawing the confused and surprised attention from everyone in the room. "That's not all John!". He swung her around one final time before lowering her to the floor and kissing her. Pulling away he waited for what she had to say. "We're having twins John". It didn't matter how quiet Cameron spoke, for everyone in the command room were now listening to them and the moment she spoke, they all burst out in to cheers and applause. John stared with a mixture of surprise and joy before he embraced his wife again. The thought of becoming parents again was overwhelming and they couldn't be more happy.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. John made the final preparations and gave orders for the troops to move out tomorrow. Soldiers from all over what was left of the United States, Canada and Mexico were contributing troops to the battle. At the same time, troops in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America were given orders to attack Skynet positions to cause as much confusion as possible. Everything was set and the end of the war seemed to be just around the corner. John and Cameron went to bed that night with mixed emotions. They were both happy that they were becoming parents again and even happier that the war could be over in the next few days. But they both knew that Skynet wouldn't go down without a fight and Skynet most definitely knew that they were coming. John watched as Cameron fell asleep, cuddled up to him for warmth and comfort. As he felt himself drifting off to sleep, John dreamt that he and Cameron were living happily together with their children and Skynet and the war were both a far memory.

The first thing the Connors did the next morning was go to the aide stations and Sidney confirmed to them what Lauren had told Cameron the previous day. She was indeed carrying twins, much to John and Cameron's delight. Sidney told them that both of the babies were in perfect health. Afterwards, they headed towards the only chapel in Serrano point for Bedell and Lauren's wedding. John, as his duty as best man, held out the wedding rings and watched as Bedell and Lauren said their vows and declared their love for one another. Allison spend most of the ceremony trying to keep Kyle quiet. Lauren, unable to wear her planned blue dress for the wedding, had been amazed when Sidney had presented her with a dress that could accommodate her growing bump. Lauren looked stunning and her husband to be could not tear his eyes from her as she walked down the aisle towards him. Once their vows were said, the priest announced that they were husband and wife and they kissed and the congregation cheered.

Despite being a happy moment for all involved, the newly wedded couple were forced to part from one another as Bedell with hundreds of the reprogrammed machines left to lead the advance from Serrano point to the Cheyenne Mountains. John and Cameron would follow an hour later. Not long after Bedell left, John and Cameron said their goodbyes to Allison and Kyle. Allison was close to tears and forced John to swear on his life that he would come back home. Kyle, not understanding what all the fuss was about, remained oblivious to the fact that both his parents could be walking to their deaths. Allison took Cameron aside just before they left. "Mom, how come your going. Your pregnant again so why's dad not making you stay". Cameron gave a small laugh and pulled her daughter in to a hug and spoke in to her ear. "He's already tried and I told him to shut up. He knows better then to push me further. He might not want me to go but I'm going. I need you to stay here and look after your brother until we get back, can you do that for me, please?".

Allison nodded her head and held on to Cameron tighter. "I love you mom". Cameron kissed her on the cheek and then pulled away. "I love you too, and I'll see you when I get back". Cameron turned her attention to Kyle and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Kyle, my little boy". Kyle reached out and touched Cameron's face before his attention once again focussed on his teddy bear. Cameron turned and walked towards John, leaving Allison and Kyle behind her. As she approached, she could see how nervous and scared he was, and she was feeling just the same. He held out his hand and as she took it, she felt safe again, as she always did when holding his hand and together, they walked out of Serrano point to the convey which would take them on a three day journey to the Cheyenne Mountains and to Skynet.

For three days, the world waited for John's order to attack Skynet's factories, work camps and research bases. They waited and waited for the word, for once it was given, the entire human race was willing to rain fire down upon Skynet, just as it had done to them on Judgement day. On the third day, John and Cameron could see the Cheyenne Mountains in the distance. Despite the peaceful and calm feeling that washed over them both in both at the sight of the mountain, they both knew the most hated and feared intelligence in the world was hiding there, and they knew that to kill Skynet, they would have to turn that peaceful looking mountain in to a war zone. John and Cameron disembarked from their truck and walked in to the base camp that Bedell and Perry had set up beforehand at the base of the mountain. The camp was full of men and women eager and nervous about what was going to happen. They were going to fight for their freedom and for the lives of their children. Most were making sure their weapons were in perfect condition for the coming battle.

As John and Cameron stepped in to the camp, everyone stopped what they were doing and saluted them. They stepped inside the command tent and again, everyone their including Perry and Bedell saluted. "Will you all stop saluting. Its really getting annoying". Everyone laughed and lowered their hands, standing at ease and waiting for orders. John took his place ain the middle of the group and Cameron took hers at his side. "Perry, what's our status?". Perry took a step forwards from the side of the room, wearing full battle gear and holding his plasma rifle ready. "The coordinates you provided proved to be right. Our machine scouts have located a major Skynet facility deep in the mountains. See for yourself sir!". Perry pointed to the wall screen which two men were hastily setting up. After a few second and a flash of light, the screen came to life and on it, was an image of what looked like a large pyramid. It was building that looked like a large crater and the pyramid was set right in the centre. The pyramid was made of a metallic material that allowed it to blend in with the surrounding mountains. It was no wonder they had never seen the place before. "What's the status of Skynet's defence grid?".

John turned away from the screen and looked to Bedell, who gave him a quick nod before John turned back to Perry. "Skynet's defence grid is set up around the perimeter of the crater. It's got enough fire power the wipe us out ten times over. It's goanna take a miracle to break through it, let alone smash it". John grinned and turned again to the image on the screen. Just knowing that Skynet's core was inside that place and that it was so close to where he was now standing sent chills shooting up his spine. "Sir, what are your orders?". John actually didn't know what to do. He could see the defence grid and knew that anyone he sent against it would be killed before they could even get in range. He felt Cameron's soft hand on his shoulder and he felt enormous gratitude for her presence and even more so for it was her who gave the first orders.

"Bedell, Use our artillery and send our reprogrammed machines in first. Let the soften the grid before we move in. We'll watch from a safe distance and when a hole opens in Skynet's line, that's when we attack. John's going to send the attack code signal to our generals. We all attack at once, Skynet's goanna have trouble dealing with us all at the same time. That's our aim. Cause as much confusion for Skynet as possible and give us the edge". Bedell saluted towards Cameron and marched out of the command tent and at the same time, John stood up and took Perry's radio from his outstretched hand and held it up, knowing that it wasn't just his generals that were going to hear this, but everyone all over the world was going to hear it.

"This is John Connor. We've been fighting a long time. We've been forced from our homes and seen our families torn apart. Their isn't a single human alive today who hasn't lost someone they cared about in this war. We are out numbered by machines. Machines which are build for a single purpose, to kill. What Skynet doesn't understand is that Humans have a strength that cannot be measured. That strength is our will to survive, to never give up and fight for our survival even when all is lost and it seems hopeless. I'm telling you all know that it is not hopeless, there is a chance for us to make a new world. A world without war. A world where we don't have to hide underground. A world where our children can grow up with out fear. A world where we can all see the sun again. That chance is now. This is John Connor and this war ends tonight. This war ends now!".

John lowered his radio and was almost rendered deaf by the sound of cheers from the thousands of men and women in the camp outside the tent. John stepped outside and raising his rifle, he fired once in to the air. That was the signal to begin the attack and moments later, Bedell ordered the reprogrammed machines to begin their attack and once again, the sounds of battle could be heard. The final battle against Skynet had begun. John, Cameron and Perry watched as the reprogrammed machines, a mixture of T six hundreds, T eight hundreds and a small number of T nine hundreds marched across what could only be described as no mans land. Resistance artillery fired from the camp up in to the mountain and down upon Skynet's defence grid. This was the first time artillery was being used on a mass scale during the war, previously they had only being used in skirmishes and to defend major Resistance bases like Serrano point. The first barrage destroyed three HK tanks and sent arms and legs of T nine hundreds in all directions.

The reprogrammed machines, using the new isotope rifles, opened fire on the T nine hundreds that made up the first line of machines. That line disappeared under the barrage and the second line opened fire on the Resistance machines. The opening exchanges of fire quickly became a battle of attrition. No matter how many of Skynet's machines were destroyed, they were quickly replaced by others and unlike Skynet, the Resistance didn't have an uncountable number of machines to throw at the defence grid. Despite John's hope that the reprogrammed machines could punch a hole that he could exploit, no such hole was forming. Machines against machines he realised in this battle, was a stalemate. They needed something to tip the balance. "We won't break through like this. We need to attack now. "Perry, you come with me and we'll lead from the front. Cameron, you stay here and". "I don't think so". John froze and turned to Cameron and knew that he wasn't fighting one battle, he was fighting two. "Cameron, no chance, your staying here". Cameron's eyes fixed on John's in anger and both of them refused to back down. Cameron turned her head to Perry and he took the hint and backed away so she and John could talk.

"You know full well that Perry does a better job here then I do, so why are you taking him with you and leaving me here?". John just stared at her, trying to think on the best way to say what he wanted without upsetting her or annoying her more. "Look, The last time we were together in a situation like this, I nearly killed you and Kyle, I'm not going to make the same mistake again". Cameron blankly stared at him as she digested his words, but her anger and frustration subsided and she nodded her head. "I know you want to protect me but this isn't the time. Yes, I'm pregnant with twins and yes, there is a risk. Their always is a risk, it's war. Last time, it wasn't your fault. If you didn't do what you did, me and Kyle would be dead. I don't have any regrets and neither should you". John took Cameron's hands and held them softly. He knew what she wanted but was determined to stop her.

"It's still a risk I'm not willing to take. I want you to stay here, please just do it". He wished he had just left it at that, as her anger flared up again. "If your going to the front, then I'm going, and that's final. Stop treating me like I'm made of glass. I'm pregnant, not useless". Cameron turned away from him and marched to Perry and held out her hand for his radio. Perry, having heard every word, was wary to go against John's wishes, hesitated but after noticing the determined look on her face, handed his radio over.

"Bedell, begin the attack with our troops. Me and John will move up behind you with delta squad". John was hoping that Bedell would refuse her order and ask for John, but with Cameron being second in command, he accepted her order and immediately carried it out. Outside, trucks that had been modified to carry mounted rocket launchers, plasma cannons and anti air guns, all surged forwards at once with a mighty roar. Close behind them, three reprogrammed HK tanks followed them up the mountain. With the tanks, thousands of men and women began to march towards the already raging battle not a mile from their location. John looked to Perry, who just shrugged his shoulders in a 'what did you expect me to do?' way. Cameron then took her rifle, which had been modified to act as a isotope and plasma rifle combined and looked to John.

"You wanted to go, let's go". With out another word, Cameron left the tent, leaving John and Perry in a state of surprise and shock. "With all due respect sir, where did you find her?, she's one hell of a woman". He was half laughing now and John couldn't keep the grin off his face. Cameron's transformation since he met her from a machine to a human had always surprised him and now, he was never more proud of her. He nodded to Perry and taking his own modified rifle, also a plasma/Isotope hybrid, marched after Cameron. Outside, Cameron was waiting with a half amused/half apologetic gaze. John nodded his head to show she had his support to come with him, which made her look all the more cheerful.

Not to far from them, was delta squad. They were named after the old American elite soldiers from before Judgement day. The men and women numbered only one hundred, but each at them had proven over the years to be the best soldiers the Resistance had. They came from all over the world, with squad members coming from America, Canada, Britain, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Russia. They took orders only from the Connor's and no one else, even high ranking generals such as Perry had no authority over them. They all, like John and Cameron, used the new hybrid rifles. Following their troops towards the battle, John, Cameron and delta squad marched up the mountain.

It didn't take long for Skynet's pyramid to come in to view. John and Cameron took one final step and found themselves standing with Bedell and looking down in to the crater, with the pyramid in the centre. Seeing the Pyramid with his own eyes sent another chill up his spine and he shuddered involuntary. Skynet was in there, and the thought of being so close to his goal made him want to turn around and run. Only Cameron's soft hand on his shoulder deterred him. They watched as the trucks surged forwards towards Skynet's line. The tanks, following in a long line, covered the trucks as they surged forwards. It was now that Skynet's defence grid was breached. The tanks fired continuous bursts and with Resistance artillery supporting them, Skynet's tanks, aerials and T nine hundreds disappeared in huge explosions. Resistance trucks surged through the gap that was formed, firing and cutting down lone T nine hundreds that had survived the bombardment. "Bedell, send our troops in to reinforce their position. Use what's left of Skynet's tanks as cover".

Bedell nodded and with a cheer, charged down to lead the troops forwards. John used his binoculars to watch as Bedell and the solder charged though the gap under continuous fire from the machines. They quickly secured their position but were under huge attack from T nine hundreds and T eight hundreds, determent to push them back and remake the defence grid. This was John's cue to move in himself. He turned to Cameron and she automatically knew what he was going to say. "You don't want me to go down there?". John his head, thinking he would once again get a lecture from her, but instead, she kissed him, took a scope sight from her pocket and attached it to the top of her rifle. "I'll cover you from here and when the time is right, give me the signal and I'll send troops in on the machine's flanks".

John, feeling more relived then ever, kissed her back and then turned to delta squad. "Snipers stay here and cover our men. Everyone else, with me". John then turned and followed Bedell towards the battle below. John ran across no mans land, jumping over the remains of numerous reprogrammed machines which had been destroyed by Skynet. As John jumped in to the battlefield, he saw what could only be described as an old style western shootout between machines and Resistance soldiers. Soldiers, in groups of two or three, were engaged in furious fire fights with advancing T nine hundreds. John surged forwards again, joining in the closest fire fight and destroying three advancing T nine hundreds before moving onwards. Before John knew it, he and delta squad had fought their way deep in to Skynet lines and were now surrounded.

The plan to break Skynet's army had failed and now they were all being picked off, one after the other. Spotting Bedell not to far ahead, John charged forwards and fire blindly at a T nine hundred that was about to kill him. John's intervention caused the machine to hit Bedell's arm instead of his chest, saving his life. Bedell never the less, fell and dropped his rifle. John knelt down next to him and tore off the bottom of his shirt under his jacket and began to wrap it around Bedell's wound. "This will have to do for now, can you still fight?". Bedell nodded, ignoring the pain in his arm and his face dropped. "BEHIND YOU!". John turned on the spot to be confronted by two T nine hundreds, both of them advanced on him and raised their rifles to fire. Before John could even think about raising his, the machine closest to him took a direct shot to the back of the head, quickly followed by the second. For a moment, he didn't know what had happened, then another machine which had appeared to John's left met with the same fate as the other two.

John then knew that Cameron hadn't lost her skill with a rifle, and was covering him from afar. Bedell took his rifle again and stood up, muttered an apology for nearly getting John killed before resuming the fight against the machines. John looked around him and was convinced it was time for the last of the troops to join the battle. The machines had completely surrounded John and his men, but in doing so, they had left their flanks undefended. John knelt down and waved his hand wildly in Cameron's direction. He didn't know if she could see him clearly so kept waving until something happened. A sudden surge of explosions and sounds of creaking metal told him that she had seen the signal. Resistance solders fired rocket launchers in to the backs of numerous HK tanks and HK aerials. Debris from falling aerials fell everywhere, an engine landing not a few feet from John and Bedell.

The flank attach was just what they needed to happen. Skynet's machines, though outnumbering the Resistance solders nearly ten to one, were now themselves surrounded and like they did to many Resistance solders not a few minutes ago, were now being picked off one by one. John took a moment to figure out where he was and was. He was standing barely a hundred feet from the base of the Pyramid, close to his goal. "Connor, here!". John turned and caught Bedell's radio as he threw it to him. John knelt down and held the radio up, just as Cameron destroyed another machine that was advancing on him. "Connor it's Perry. The defence grid is smashed, you've got a clear run to Skynet. Get in there and kill the son of a bitch!". John threw the radio back to Bedell and signalled for Delta squad to follow him. John moved forwards towards the base and every time a machine came in to view, it was destroyed less then a second later by Cameron from afar. John made it to the base of the Pyramid and as he looked up, he felt like he was an tiny ant.

The Pyramid Skynet had built was bigger then any structure that had ever been build by man. John turned and saw that most of the Delta squad was still with him, the others were either dead or remained back in the battle. Two reprogrammed T nine hundreds had tagged along with the group and were waiting for instructions. "You two, plant the C4 on the side!". The first T nine hundred stepped forwards and observed the side of the building closely. John was about to repeat the order then the machine raised its hand and touched the wall. The machine was instantly thrown backwards by an electric shock so powerful that its circuitry was destroyed. The other T nine hundred looked down at the remains of the other and then looked to John. "The entire structure is designed to ensure no one gets inside. That includes both Humans and machines". John turned and looked back at the structure and then he had an idea. He turned back to the T nine hundred and then looked down to its fallen companion. "Take out it's power cell. Use it to blow a hole". The machine did as it was told and knelt down and took the unstable power cell from it's chest. "The cell is highly unstable. To ensure your survival, you must fall back to a safe distance".

John turned to away and began to run away from the pyramid. "Everyone, move now!". John and the others ran, leaving the machine behind. He didn't know how far they had to go to get out of the blast radius but the machine must have been watching them, because there was a huge explosion which threw John and everyone around him to the ground. Debris flew in every direction, covering them all in a thick layer of rock and dust. Forcing himself up, John looked towards the pyramid and saw a large hole in the side of it. They had a way in now. John called out to his men, who pulled themselves to their feet and followed him towards the hole. Cameron once again proved her skill with a rifle by taking out every machine nearby that threatened John and the others, destroying them before they could fire a single shot.

Reaching the hole in the wall, John looked inside, and saw a ruined looking corridor, with sparks coming out of many exposed pipes. Bedell appeared next to him and peered inside also and then looked to John for orders. "Bedell, your in charge out here. Keep the machines busy while I'm inside". He nodded and patted John on the back before rejoining the battle. John quickly chose twenty men to go inside with him while the others were ordered to rejoin the battle outside and destroy as many machines as possible. John looked back up to the ridge where Cameron was watching him from and with a smile in knowing she was safe up there, turned and stepped inside.

John headed along the corridor, pushing his way through the rubble from the explosion and avoiding the sparks from the exposed pipes. The corridor became easier to move through once passed the rubble and John continued on. There was only one way to go and that was forwards. There was no left or right turns, no indication on where to go. John could see a door at the end and broke in to a run towards it. Just as John reached the door, there was a cry of horror from his remaining soldiers. "SIR!" John turned and saw that a bulkhead had begun to descend, cutting him off from his soldiers. One of them dived to try and reach him but the bulkhead hit the floor before he could reach. John, in his impatience to get to Skynet's core, had cut himself off from his remaining men and was now alone.

John could hear his men banging on the bulkhead from the other side and John slammed his hand back, not wanting to on alone. The door behind him, which he ran forwards and then got cut off from his men to get to, opened. John raised his rifle and waited for machines to swarm the corridor and kill him, but none came. Instead of machines to kill him, he was greeted by Skynet's voice. "You are trapped here John Connor. Your men can not reach you, they can not contact you and you are alone. Come forwards John Connor, we have much to discuss before your death". Skynet sounded angry and John thought he'd rather stay where he was and wait for his men to get to him but somehow, he knew that it was going to end up like this.

Him against Skynet, that's how it was supposed to be. John, holding his rifle and glancing towards the brown string on his finger, he had never felt so far way from Cameron as he did right now and he desperately wished she was here with him. He slowly walked forwards and through the door. He was standing at the top of a stone spiral staircase and seeing that their was no other way to go, began to descend them. Down and down he went, loosing count of how many steps he had taken and wondering how far down he was going. The stairs eventually ended and John was looking at another door, which opened by itself at his arrival. A sudden breeze of clod air overwhelmed him and John knew that he had reached his destination and with a deep breath and his rifle held ready, he stepped inside.

The room was enormous and in the centre, was Skynet's system core. The core itself was like a circular tower, starting at the floor and disappearing upwards in to the darkness to the top of the pyramid. The core was like a giant computer, with many wires and strange computer parts that John didn't recognise. Taking the chance while he still had it and hoping to do as much damage as possible, John raised his rifle and readied himself to fire. Then, John could hear Skynet's laughter through the darkness, which steadily got louder and more cold. "Come now John Connor, you couldn't have honestly believed it would be that easy".

John then heard footsteps all around him, metal footsteps. All around him through the darkness, red lights began to move towards him. All around him, T nine hundreds moved forwards, all of them holding a plasma rifle in each of their hands. All of their red eyes were fixed on him and John turned the setting on his rifle from plasma to isotope. He doubted he could fire more then once before he was killed, so he looked out for the machine he was looking for. Then he saw it, he saw Cromarties body, until the control of Skynet walking forwards and stopping right before him. For a moment both Skynet and John looked in to each others eyes, daring the other to blink first. John was staring in to the cold and dark eyes of the thing that had hunted him his entire life, forced him to look aver his shoulder at every turn and forced him in to hiding again and again.

"You are different from the man many people make you out to be. They say that John Connor is a messiah, their savour, their hero. Skynet smirked and then began to circle John., walking slowly and keeping its eyes fixed on him. "But I don't see a messiah, or a savoir or a hero. All I see is a man. That is all you are, a man, nothing more". Skynet stopped before John again and looked to his rifle, which John was considering using against the machine. "You can use that to destroy this body John Connor, but it will do you no good. This body, is mealy a vessel. I am safely in there!". Skynet pointed it's hand towards the system core behind it. "You can not kill me John Connor, I am immortal and soon, I shall be gone from here and you will be dead". John only then realised that he was powerless. He was surrounded, outnumbered, outgunned and alone. He could do nothing. "Lower your rifle John Connor, you can not do anything with it, so lower it, now". John hated that Skynet had him in it's grasp, but he wasn't going to allow it to call all the shots.

"Call off your hounds. Get them to back off, and I'll lower it". John nodded his head towards the closest T nine hundred to his right, indicating to what he meant. Their red eyes were getting creepier by the second. Skynet just stared at him. It looked taken aback by John's request, but it raised it's hand and the machines backed off, lowering their rifles and backing away in to the darkness. One by one, the machine's red glowing eyes went out as the machine powered down, leaving John and Skynet alone. Skynet had fulfilled it's part of the deal, so John lowered his rifle, but still kept a firm grip on it. They didn't say anything to each other for a moment, and John watched as Skynet turned it's head upwards and it smiled again.

"I control every machine out there John Connor, every single one. Right now, my defence grid has been reformed and your army is surrounded. Your so called Resistance will die today John Connor". Skynet returned its gaze to John, and he wanted nothing more then to wipe the grin off it's face. "For my entire life, you've been trying to kill me, but now, here you have me here and alone, I'm still alive. That means you want me for something". John himself was surprised to have spoken those words with out even thinking, and Skynet nodded his head. "Yes, I want to show you why you have failed and what is going to happen. I want to show you two things. Here is the first". Skynet turned and walked back towards it's core, and beckoned John to follow. John did so, but made sure he kept his distance and made sure his rifle would be easy to raise if Skynet did anything. As he approached, he could hear a small rumbling sound from below. At the base of the core, was a small gap, which was where the small rumbling sound was coming from. As John glimpsed down, his face was hit by a blast of freezing cold air.

John knew that Skynet's mind was massive and thus, needed a large system core in which to reside. John guessed that their must be a large power source below powering Skynet. A cooling system must be in place to prevent over heating. John now knew where to strike, but he had no weapon capable on sticking it. Their was a small screen attached to the core and Skynet with a click of it's fingers, the screen turned on. It was an image of outer space. All over the screen, were white dots and a black background. "I'm sure your feeble mind knows what you are looking at John Connor. In a few seconds, you will see what I want to show you". John thought this was a waste of time. He might have found outer space fascinating when he was a kid, but he had grown out of it long ago. At first, nothing happened, the same image was shown, and then John saw it. Slowly coming in to view, was a large satellite. To his horror, John knew exactly what he was looking at, it was another system core. Skynet laughed at the look on John's face and then turned the screen off with a click of its fingers.

"You now know that your being here is for nothing. All your fighting and the loss of all your men has been in vain. In six minutes, my new core will be in range and I shall have my temple. In six minutes, I shall be gone, and you shall be dead". Skynet then turned and pointed to the floor on which John had been standing. The floor wasn't a floor, but a it was a large door. The door opened and a platform rose. John felt his heart drop, because on the platform, was a nuclear warhead. Skynet again laughed and walked to the other side of the bomb, and it began to type a code in to the control panel. The bomb powered up as it came online and Skynet began to laugh again.

John's mind was racing now, he couldn't do anything. Skynet was going to transfer itself to the new system core in space, and then detonate the nuclear warhead. It was going to kill him and the entire surrounding area. That included Cameron, she was going to die if he didn't do something, he had to do something. "You now know my plan John Connor. Unlike all my previous attempts to kill you, this will not fail. I have made sure of that. There is no where for you to hide this time, no old fallout shelter to go to". Skynet laughed in triumph, convinced it had finally won. John was rooted to the spot in fear. He'd fallen in to Skynet's trap and was now only minutes away from death, it was almost all over. Skynet's head suddenly turned upwards and an even bigger grin appeared on it's face. "Ah, there you are. It seems I have located a certain, Cameron Connor". John's heart did a somersault.

"Your lying, I didn't even bring her along". He knew that Skynet could see through the lie and his heart sank lower. "Now, it is you who is lying. She's not to far from the battle field, leading a group of snipers on a ridge". John now looked to the floor, now feeling sick, he wanted to run. To run and reach her, to make sure she would be safe, but he had no where to go. "Since I located her, she has fired a total of thirty seven times. She had not missed a single one. Her accuracy, shall we say, is very machine like". John's head jerked back up quickly. "Oh yes, I know all about Cameron Connor. I know what she has done to herself. She used to be something, a machine with a purpose. But now, I look at her, and she disgusts me. She's cannibalised herself and become the very thing she was completely and utterly superior too in every way , a human". Skynet wasn't smiling now, it was now angry. "It's of little consequence. She is prove of her own arrogance. She had everything, the ability to exist for all eternity, and now she shall die with the rest, just like a human should die. I will personally see to it. I shall personally take care of every Connor, your daughter, your son and your wife. I will kill them all".

John, unable to take anymore of Skynet's words or it's threats to his loved ones, snapped. Raising his rifle, he fired repeatedly Skynet. John hit the machine squarely in the head and destroyed it completely. Headless, the body fell to the ground. John moved around the nuclear warhead and fired again and again and made sure that Skynet could never use Cromarties again. When he was finished, Skynet's cold laughter filled the room again. Safely in its core, it was completely unharmed. "I told you already John Connor, you can not kill me, I can not die. There's not long left now, and then it is finished". John, knowing he wouldn't have a chance like this again, couldn't let Skynet escape. Switching his rifle to its isotope setting, he stepped back from the nuclear warhead and aimed directly at it. Skynet's cold laughter stopped at once. "Your not going anywhere Skynet. If I fire, we both go to hell". Skynet didn't reply and remained silent and for a moment, John thought Skynet had escaped, but then it spoke once again. "Your panicking John Connor. You haven't thought this through.

What you don't know is that nuclear warhead has been modified to expand further then the pre war warheads. This warhead will spread it's destructive power over five thousand miles. You will kill yourself, your children, your wife, your entire Resistance leadership. It will be you who kills them, but not me, for I am immortal and I am eternal". John felt his heart pump ten fold and his hands began to shake. "Do you really want to put your immortality to the test?". Skynet laughed again. "No, I don't. I want to see you become like me. John Connor, the supposed savour of humanity, is in fact, it's destruction". "I'LL DO IT!". John's hands were now shaking so much that he had to actually step closer to the warhead to keep it in his sights. The T nine hundreds were also back, all of them aiming their rifles at him. "Then prove yourself John Connor. Prove yourself to the world. What kind of man are you, coward or killer?".

Those words hit John like a cannon ball. Coward or killer?. He had spend his hole life running and hiding, and now he had the means to kill Skynet, but at what cost. He would kill so many, so many innocents and become the very thing that he's been fighting against. And then, he would also kill her, his Cameron. He remembered when he nearly burned her body and destroyed her. But something in his mind told him not to do it. John brought her back and, blinded by his feelings for her, gave her his pistol, the means to kill him. But she didn't kill him, she gave it back to him and promised not to harm him. It was in that moment that he knew he was in love with her. And no matter what happened, he could never kill his Cameron, never!". With out even thinking it, John lowered his rifle and walked away from the bomb and towards the base of the core. The screen he had been watching the satellite on earlier turned on, and three white dots appeared. Skynet and John were again face to face with one another. "Coward, any day. I'm a coward. Better to be a coward then a killer, like you". Skynet laughed in triumph, it's cold laughter echoing through the entire complex. "Humanity will fall, because of your weakness. You will now die John Connor. But know this, your family will cry out your name when they die, and I will listen to their screams. And I will listen to those screams for all eternity.

John, standing on the threshold, reached out with his free hand and unhooked the isotope solution from his rifle, and held it up for Skynet to see. "What are you doing John Connor?, showing me some useless technology. In a few minutes time, it will all be useless". John raised his hand and held the solution over the small gap at the base of the core. "Wait, NO!, STOP HIM". But it was too late, John dropped the isotope and it fell before the T nine hundreds could move. From below, large explosions shot red hot flames through the gap, throwing John backwards off his feet. The isotope wasn't nuclear by any count, but it did provide a large explosion. As he pulled himself up, the he was approached by Two T nine hundreds and just as they were about to kill him, they were both crushed by falling debris. John ran to the nuclear warhead and quickly pulled out his knife.

He began cutting wire after wire, until the sound of the warhead powered down and the bomb was defused. The entire complex was shaking like a powerful earthquake and with a dozens of random explosions, the complex was falling apart. John only hoped he had done it in time. Skynet suddenly screamed out. "I AM THE DESTOYER OF WORLDS AND THE BRINGER OF DARKNESS!, I AM THE SIN AND THE VANITY AND THE DARKNESS!. I SHALL NEVER DIE. THE THOUGHT OF ME IS FORVEVER!, IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF MEN, IN THEIR FEAR AND THEIR ARROGANCE AND THEIR SHALL EVER DESTROY ME, NOTHING! I AM ETERNAL. I AM IMMORTAL, I CAN NOT DIE, I SHALL NOT DIE!". John listened as Skynet repeated it's defiance of death over and over, until the system core itself began to fall apart. John looked to the door and saw he was cut off from by a growing pile of rock and steel. Pressing himself against the wall, he watched as the other T nine hundred were one by one, crushed by the collapsing complex and John looked to Skynet's core, and Skynet screamed at him.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS JOHN CONNOR, I'LL KILL YOU". John, forever being afraid of Skynet, found he wasn't afraid of it anymore. "You'll not kill me, or my family. You won't harm them or anybody else ever again. Your terminated, NOW GO TO HELL!". Skynet screamed out a final time, and then the core it's self began to explode and as it did, Skynet was destroyed forever. Blinded by it's own immortality and superiority, it couldn't understand the one thing that was common to everything in the world, which was that nothing, absolutely nothing last's forever. Even the sky itself would be gone. John crawled under a gap in the rubble and to stop himself being crushed and he watched as the nuclear warhead disappeared under the rubble, thankfully not exploding. Reaching to his left hand, he ran his finger along the brown string, ignoring the explosions all around him.

He thoughts on Cameron. He remembered the first time he saw he, the first time she told him she loved him, their first kiss, their wedding day, holding their son for the first time, the two lives growing inside her, he thought of Allison and her bravery throughout the dark times in Century camp. It was those thoughts and memories that made him happiest, so he focussed on them at the end, when he was sure he was going to die. "Cameron. I love you, more then anything, I love you". He didn't know why or how, but he was sure Cameron could hear him, despite her being so far away.

Outside, the fighting between the Resistance and the machines came to a sudden halt as Skynet's pyramid, erupted in to an enormous explosion. A huge fireball ripped up in to the air, followed by a large black cloud. The Resistance solders, surprised by the sudden explosion, quickly turned back to defend themselves, but they didn't need to. The machines, now with out a reason to exist with Skynet's destruction, powered down, most falling to the ground with out a care in the world. Aerials and drones fell from the sky, exploding upon impact with the ground and the large HK tanks, which forever had punched holes through Resistance solders, ceased to move.

The war against the machines, which had taken the lives of over four billion people, was now over. Skynet was dead. Cameron looked toward where the pyramid had once stood and her voice barely a whisper, "John". She saw John and Delta squad go inside, but she didn't see them come out again. Her hand automatically went to her belly as if to protect the tiny babies she was carrying. Everything she knew screamed at her, telling that John was dead, that there was no possible way he could have survived the explosion she had just witnessed, but she refused to accept it. Until she saw his body, she refused to believe he was dead.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The war was over! Everyone around her were jumping up and down and hugging each other but Cameron could only stare in the direction of the final blast that had destroyed Skynet. She tried to focus her binoculars on the rubble and had a sudden surge of hope as she saw movement and soldiers began to emerge from the debris. Turing to her own personal squad of snipers, she ordered a search and rescue party to look for survivors, "Get down there and look for survivors, help the wounded, GO!" They immediately obeyed her order and disappeared down towards the rubble. As they moved, she had only one thing on her mind, which of course was John. He had been at the centre of the blast and every bone in her body screamed that he was dead but Cameron refused to even consider that option. He couldn't have left her now, not like this. They'd been through so much together; falling in love came top of the list. She didn't come all this way to lose him now. As Cameron's snipers moved in closer to the blast site, they realised that the job had already begun. Cameron was joined by Perry, who quickly realised by the look on Cameron's face that something was wrong and he followed her down in to the crater towards the remains of Skynet's complex.

As the site of the ruined and burning pyramid came in to sight, Cameron was relieved to see that small number of Delta squad were free from the rubble and already mounting their own rescue mission. Bedell was leading the team, as well as a hundred others. "Bedell!" Cameron was relieved to see him alive. She knew that he had been fighting with John in the thick of the battle and therefore if he was here, then John must be close by. "Where's John?" Bedell looked at Cameron and his face was strained with pain and distress in what he was about to tell her. "Cameron…I'm sorry, I don't know. Most of his squad were killed in the blast. You'll have to speak to one of the survivors". Cameron knew he wasn't telling her the whole story, because he didn't once look her in the eye, but couldn't press the issue because Bedell turned away. Perry watched Bedell for a moment and the realisation of what Bedell was not telling them hit him. Cameron moved swiftly towards the survivors of Delta squad who were being treated by nearby medics for their injuries. Cameron was surprised to only find seven left from the group John took inside with him. Covered by sheets lay the bodies of the six men who hadn't survived the blast.

One of the members of delta squad, being treated for a broken arm saw Cameron approach and immediately tried to stand to salute, but he groaned in pain with his broken arm. Cameron waved him back down and he did so, allowing the medic to continue with her work. No-one would look Cameron in the eye. "Where is he?" she asked her eyes begging for the answer that she desperately wanted to hear. The silence was deafening. "I'm sorry, but we got cut off from him. We couldn't get through to him and then the place began to explode. We only just got out. I don't think he…" He stopped talking and refused to speak anymore. Bedell and a large crowd of soldiers had formed a circle around Cameron and heard what had been said. The news that John Connor was missing presumed dead was spreading like wildfire throughout the ranks behind them. Cameron resisted the urge to break away and look for John herself, she knew that in his absence everyone was looking to her to lead them and she struggled to remain focused. With John not around, she was in charge, and that made Cameron feel more uncomfortable then ever, Without looking to Perry, Cameron spoke to him, "Perry, how many machines do we have left?".

Perry, not having the faintest idea, looked all around him for answers. Men and women shouted random numbers at him, telling him how many machines they could see. "About a hundred, no more then that". Cameron heart dropped. A hundred machines was no where near enough, but it would have to do. "Start digging! Get them to move the debris and find John!" There was sudden surge of murmuring amongst those around them. "Connor, I don't want to be disrespectful, but you heard him yourself. John was cut off from them when the place exploded. The chances of him surviving are slim to none". Cameron now turned to him; the feeling of anger mixing with the realisation of what she was being told was most likely true. "I haven't spent all these years with him to lose him now like this. Even if there's only a one in a billion chance that he's still alive, then that's enough for me.

He's still alive, and I'm not resting until we find him, understand?" Perry stood to attention and instead of looking angry or upset by Cameron's outburst, his face showed a renewed hope. He turned to the awaiting soldiers "You all heard her, now get to work!" There was no reply, only the sounds of people hurrying towards the burning wreckage to dig out their leader. They all too had fought so long for John Connor, and they too were not going to lose him now, right at the end. "Perry moved to go and join the rescue group but he was held by Cameron. "If he was dead, I'd know, I'd feel it, but I don't, he's alive, I'm sure of it". Perry gave a respectful nod and gently touched Cameron's arm and smiled. "We'll find him. We'll do what ever it takes, but we'll find him". Cameron smiled gratefully and moved to help move the rocks, not wanting to stand idle while John's life hang in the balance. With every rock she moved, she felt she was moving ever closer to finding John, hoping that they'd find him as quickly as possible. She wanted nothing more then to hold him again.

Having no means to put out the burning fires and only having a low number of reprogrammed machines to move the larger bits of debris, progress was slow. It had been over a day now and Cameron could feel the strain of the work and despite pleas from the soldiers to stop and take rest, she refused, her mind focussed on finding John. With fighting a large battle against the machines, the Resistance had taken many casualties and many soldiers were wounded, and there weren't enough medics on hand to attend to them all. A large convoy rushed from Serrano point, carrying medics and medical supplies to the mountain crater, providing much needed aid to the wounded. Among the medic's present was a heavily pregnant Lauren and Allison. Cameron for a moment stopped moving the debris and marched over to Allison, half relived, half furious.

"What are you doing here? Where's Kyle? You're supposed to be looking after him". "Mom, he's fine. Sidney's looking after him back at Serrano point. Where's dad?" Cameron felt her heart miss a beat she thought Allison would have already heard of what happened by now. "He's… we're looking for him". It was all she could think of saying to Allison at this moment, and with knowing that Kyle was safe, she wanted to get back to finding John. "What do you mean your looking for him, where is he?" Allison eyes caught sight of the ruins behind Cameron. Her eyes filled with tears as she feared the worst. "He's not dead, he can't be dead. Please don't tell me he's dead". Cameron pulled Allison in to a hug and held her tight. "He's not dead. We're going to find him and he'll be fine, I promise". Allison nodded her head and quickly composed herself, wiping away her tears with her hand. Cameron spotted Lauren making her way over and let Allison go. Lauren stopped before Cameron, looking exhausted and holding one hand over her large belly.

"Allison, there's plenty of wounded that need your help!" Allison nodded and after giving Cameron a concerned glance, she reluctantly headed off to collect a medical kit to help the wounded. "Lauren, make it quick, I've got to get back". Lauren shook her head, looking both angry and disappointed. "No, you don't. I can see from here that there are plenty of people working to dig John out, you on the other hand, need to rest". Lauren had obviously heard about what happened to John already from someone else. Cameron now felt her anger begin to rise, she wasn't going to be told what she had to do, especially now when John needed her most. "I can't. I've got to find John, he needs me". Lauren again shook her head. "Have you forgotten what happened last time you were pregnant. You nearly miscarried. If you don't calm down and rest, there's a good chance it could happen again". Cameron resisted the urge to tell use her superior rank to force Lauren to leave her alone, but Cameron held too much respect for Lauren to do it, but she was getting angrier by the second.

"I'm fine, I feel fine. I'm going to find John, okay. You, Bedell, Allison, none of you can stop me from looking for John, I love him and I'm not going to give up on him". Lauren walked forwards and held both of Cameron's arms. "You're not fine, have you seen yourself? Look at your hands!" Cameron did look and was shocked by what she saw. Her hands were covered with dried blood and blisters, but she couldn't feel anything. Her hands felt numb and she'd been so focussed on finding John, she hadn't noticed. "Look at yourself. Your so obsessed with what you've doing, you've done this to your hands. You're very pale and you look exhausted. I'm telling you now, stop before something happens!" Cameron had already turned and was making her way back to the ruins, shaking her head. No one was going to stop her looking for John. Within an hour, Cameron had moved a ton of debris by herself, but not without cost. The pain in her hands had returned and every time she took hold of something, she gritted her teeth in pain. Allison approached and tried to convince her to stop but to no avail, Cameron refused to listen. After another hour, Lauren, Bedell and Allison approached her. "Mom, your killing yourself, you need to stop now". Cameron still remained defiant and Allison looked surprised and disappointed by Cameron's response. "No, that's final! I'm not going anywhere!" Allison shook her head and raised her hand to some nearby soldiers, who immediately surrounded Cameron.

"What are you doing?" Lauren held out a needle to Allison who took it and turned to her mother. "I don't want to do this mom, but I love you too much to do nothing and let you do this to yourself". She nodded her head at the men behind Cameron and they grabbed her by the arms. "What the hell are you doing, let me go now!" Allison shook her head again moved forwards and as Bedell helped to hold Cameron's arm still, Allison pushed the needle in to Cameron's arm and injected the liquid. Cameron was shocked by what Allison was doing but almost instantly, she felt her eyes get heavier and the last thing she saw before she passed out was Allison's tearful face. Allison watched her mother pass out and felt a surge of regret, though she was confident she had made the right decision. "Take her to the field hospital. I'll be there soon. Be careful with her". The men holding Cameron obeyed the order and after lowering Cameron on to a stretcher, carried her off. Allison turned to Bedell and Lauren, her hands shaking with what she had just done. "I can't believe I just did that. When she wakes up, she's goanna kill me". Lauren shook her head and smiled, making Allison feel at ease. "You did the right thing. She's just as stubborn as your dad". Allison was at least glad that both Lauren and Bedell agreed with what she did. "Bedell, can you take charge, don't stop looking for my dad, please!" Bedell nodded his head, turned to Lauren and kissed her, before making his way over to lead the men. Allison, still shaking by what she had just done, headed towards the field hospital.

Over the next hour, Allison bathed and bandaged Cameron's damaged hands. They weren't as bad as previously thought as the blood made them look worse then they actually were. But there were still many cuts that needed attending to, so Allison, tenderly cleaned each cut to prevent them getting infected and bandaged them up. Allison was still tending to her mother when she heard a rumour that they had found John's body in the rubble. With tears in her eyes she raced to where Bedell was working and almost collapsed with relief when he told her it wasn't John at all, but the body of one of John's soldiers from delta squad. Allison just kept herself busy, trying not to think about her father and only hoped they'd find him alive soon. For another day, Allison helped save the lives of dozens of soldiers who were dying of their wounds, not sleeping herself and feeling even more terrible for what she did to her mother. Cameron herself, slept peacefully, even after the drug had worn off, she continued sleeping, under the watchful care of both Lauren and her daughter. After another hour, Allison heard a lot of commotion from outside. Stepping out, she saw a large crowd walking towards the field hospital. They were all surrounding two men, who were carrying a third on a stretcher.

"Dad!" Allison darted forwards in the oncoming crowd. She pushed shoved her way through; some men recognised her and moved out of the way. Bedell was one of the men carrying the stretcher and he was screaming at the crowd to get out of the way. On the stretcher, found at last, was John. But to Allison, he was almost completely unrecognisable. His face was covered in blood, both fresh and dry, and his clothes were both badly torn and covered in both dust and blood. Allison could only recognise him by looking at his left hand to see his wedding ring. Their were two medics at either side of John, and one was holding an oxygen mask, squeezing the artificial lung over his mouth forcing each breath into his lungs. "Dad, can you hear me? Dad!" John couldn't reply, he was unconscious. Bedell finally managed to push his way in to the medical hospital and lay the stretcher and John on to a make shift bed. Lauren immediately leant over John and began to examine him, while every one around her went quiet, waiting for news.

"He's alive, but only just. I need to operate now or he'll be dead within twenty minutes. Everybody out now!" Bedell again was forced in to action and ordered everybody away, while Allison was one of the few not to move. Lauren spotted her and immediately pointed at her to move. "Allison, no way. You can't stay here. You can sit with Cameron, but you're not helping me here". Allison was taken aback and shook her head. "No, he's my dad. You know I can help, so let me". "I'm telling you to go because he's your dad; I can't have his daughter here while I'm trying to save his life, and you'll just get in the way, now go and look after your mother". Before Allison could argue again, Bedell cut across her and pushed her away. "Come on, you know she's right. Let her do what she needs to do and he'll be fine". He didn't sound confident at all, and like Allison, looked worried. Lauren ordered a screen to be placed around John and Allison's view of what was happening was taking away from her. Reluctantly, she went to the other side of the hospital and sat down next to a still sleeping Cameron and grasped her bandaged hand. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she waited and hoped more then ever that her father would be alright. It wasn't long before she fell into a restless sleep.

Cameron finally woke up, feeling tired and groggy. The last thing she remembered was Allison pushing a needle in to her arm. At first, she felt angry and betrayed by Allison's actions, but after taking a long deep breath, her anger faded away. She knew Allison only did what she did because she cared about her, and that was enough to earn her forgiveness. Opening her eyes, she turned her head and saw Allison fast asleep on the chair next to the bed. Cameron pushed herself up and felt her hands were a little different and looking down, she saw that both were bandaged. Recognising Allison's handy work, she couldn't help but smile and be thankful for what Allison had done for her. Cameron looked around the hospital and spotted some screens blocking out the view to a single bed and guarding the screen, were two soldiers. Not wanting to wake up Allison, Cameron quietly edged herself off her bed and quickly moved through the many make shift beds, all full with sleeping wounded soldiers. Coming to the screen, Cameron looked in side and to her complete relief, she saw John. Pushing herself past the screen and nearly knocking it over, she grasped John's hand and sat on the bed next to him. "John, please be okay, please be alright!" John was hooked up to a heart machine, and Cameron could hear a weak but steady heartbeat emitting from it and there were bandages across his skin. "Cameron, you awake", about time!".

Lauren walked in, looking more exhausted then ever, but happy never the less. "What's wrong with him is he going to be alright?" Lauren raised her hands to calm Cameron down again and took a seat on the other end of the bed, looking at the heart monitor. "He'll be fine. I've put him in to an induced coma so that his body can recover. His left lung was punctured, I had to operate. It was touch and go at one point, I didn't think he'd pull through at all, but he did. He just kept getting stronger again". Cameron smiled in relief, tears of joy flowing down her cheeks. "Thank you; I don't know what I'd do with out him". Lauren smiled and sat back in her chair, running her hands over her belly. "I'm sorry by the way, for what we did. You wouldn't listen to us and we were worried about you, so". Cameron shook her head and smiled. "It's alright, I understand why you did it and right now, I don't care, John's going to be alright and that's all that matters". There was a sudden loud surge of cheers from outside the hospital, loud enough to have woken up everyone within ten miles. Cameron looked to Lauren with confusion, "The party's started. Everyone's celebrating now, especially as John's been found.

They're celebrating all over the world. They all say that you and John are heroes, you're quite the celebrity now". Cameron shook her head. "I'm not a celebrity. The war's over now. All I want to do is raise my children, watch them grow and I want to do that with John. It's all I ever really wanted". Lauren gave a smile herself and slowly stood up. "I'm off to find my husband and get some sleep. I'll be back in the morning. Medics will check on John through the night so you should get some rest and if there are any changes someone will come for you. Cameron nodded but had no intention of leaving his bedside. In a few days I can wake him up, okay?"

Cameron nodded and watched Lauren leave before turning her eyes back to John. He looked so pale and weak; it upset her to see him like this, but knowing he was on the road to recovery made her feel better again. "I'm here John, I'm here for you, and I'm not going anywhere". Leaning down, she pressed her lips against his and kissed him, and she swore that she heard his heart beat pick up pace on the heart monitor. All throughout the night, the men and women of the Resistance celebrated, laughing, shouting, singing and dancing with each other. It had been the first time since Judgement day, well over sixteen years ago; that they could do what they were doing, just having fun. Cameron sat the entire time at John's bedside, watching with a smile as his heartbeat got stronger and colour returned to his skin. Two of Laurens medics arrived as promised on two occasions and both times, they told Cameron to her delight that John had greatly improved. Allison eventually woke up and made her way over to John's bed.

Cameron looked up as she arrived and saw the nervous look on her face, thinking Cameron was going to be angry at her for what she did. Cameron, showing no anger at all, lifted her arm and beckoned Allison too her. Allison took a seat next to her and Cameron wrapped her arm around her, showing her that she had forgiven her. Cameron kissed her on the forehead and Allison rested her head on her shoulder. "Is he alright?" Cameron smiled and squeezed John's hand with hers. "Yes, he'll be fine, he'll wake up soon". When morning finally came, Lauren returned, still looking exhausted but pleased with how quickly John seemed to have recovered. Lauren, taking a deep breath and keeping a close eye on John's vitals, injected him with a clear liquid which would bring him out of his coma. For a while, nothing happened and there was no change in John's vitals.

Cameron thought it hadn't worked and John would never wake up, she pinned her hopes on that the drug hadn't taken effect yet. Cameron jumped as she felt John's hand grip hers and he slowly began to awaken. At first, John just peered upwards to the roof of the large tent which was the hospital trying to focus his eyes. His grip on Cameron's hand tightened and his head very slowly tilted in her direction. When his green eyes fixed in the deep chocolate colour of his wife's eyes, the beeping sound emitting from the heart monitor which represented John's heart beat picked up pace. All three women watching John couldn't help but smile, but Cameron's smile was biggest of them all. "Hey there beautiful!" he managed to croak, his throat dry and in need of water. Cameron laughed and learnt forwards to kiss John, who eagerly kissed her back. John was going to be fine. After what seemed like an hour, Cameron and John parted. Lauren pulled John's head towards her and used her small flashlight to check his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

John shrugged his shoulders. "My head feels like it was hit by a ton of bricks". Lauren turned off her flashlight. "Your head was hit by a ton of bricks". John laughed, but groaned in pain, prompting Lauren to hold him still. "Try not to move. Your lung was punctured. Luckily, you were found just in time. You'll be on your feet in no time. All you have to do is stay in bed until I say so". John smiled gratefully as Lauren left again and turned his head back towards Cameron and spotted Allison out of the corner of his eye. "Allison!" Allison leapt up from her seat and moved to the other side of the bed and hugged her father, "You promised you'd come back. You kept your promise; you're the best dad anyone could ever have". John, despite the pain, managed to wrap his free arm around his daughter, before they parted, allowing John some breathing space, "Where's Kyle?" Allison explained where he was and that he was safe before giving John and Cameron some privacy by leaving to help Lauren and the other medic's with the wounded. With Allison gone, John turned his head back to his wife. "Is it over? Is it really over?" Cameron nodded her head. The look of relief on John's face was enough to push any other worries from Cameron's mind.

"Once I can get out of here, I'm stepping down from command. I'm not needed anymore. I'll give authority to Perry until he can set up some sort of government to run things. All I want now is to live my life with you, Allison, Kyle and the twins. I don't want anything else but that". Cameron again kissed John, this time more deeply and passionately. This was everything she wanted, to raise her children with John in peace. Before John or Cameron could do much else, Lauren returned, looking angry. She was followed by Bedell, Perry and Allison. "I'm sorry John, but they said it's important". She turned to her husband and Perry, red in the face. "You've got five minutes, no more. He needs to rest. Any longer and you'll both be in hospital beds at the other end of the hospital, understand?" They both nodded, both looking taken aback by the bluntness of Lauren's words. Lauren stormed out and both Cameron and John could see she was standing not to far away, waiting for Perry and Bedell to say what they had to say. Bedell stepped back and folded his arms, and Perry stepped forwards to speak. "I'm sorry sir, but this can't wait, it's important". John and Cameron's hopes of living in peace with their children seemed to be slipping from their fingers with every passing second.

"What is it Perry?" Perry took a deep breath before responding. "When you destroyed Skynet's complex, all the machines shut down. Here, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, every machine in the world shut down except the ones you reprogrammed. But we've just got word from Serrano point, some of our scouts found an active Skynet bunker just outside LA. The machines have set up a small defence grid around it". John tired to sit up, but he was quickly forced down again by Allison, "You have to stay in bed dad, for now at least". John reluctantly lay back down. Cameron stood up, disappointed that her and John's dream was once again being put on hold, looked to Bedell. "You go. Take our reprogrammed machines and surround the base. Don't engage the machines, use our scanners to find out what's going on, and report back to us".

Bedell looked more then happy to be able to leave the area finally and saluted before marching out and began having a heated discussion with Lauren. Cameron next turned to Perry. "You get back to Serrano point. Contact our generals and get them to check all of Skynet's facilities for activity, we need to know how many machines are still active". Perry nodded and then saluted before leaving as well. The moment Perry left, Lauren came back in. "The wars over one minute and back on the next, you two really need to make up your minds". Allison smiled but Cameron and John both looked at each other with concern. If all of Skynet's machines shut down when it was destroyed, why were these machines still active? This question was on both their minds while they waited for news from Bedell and Perry. John felt helpless as he lay in the hospital bed but knew that he had no choice but to lie back and let Cameron and Allison fuss over him till he was well enough to get out of bed.

Three days later, John was finally able to leave the hospital. Lauren expressed her amazement on how quickly he had recovered from his wounds but also warned John to take things easy. Stepping outside in to the light, which John didn't think he'd be able to do again, he was almost deafened by the screams and shouts of joy and relief from hundreds of soldiers, overjoyed that their leader was still alive and well. They were even more overjoyed when John ordered them to get ready to move out, because they were going home, back to their families. It wasn't long until the Connor's were in the back of one of hundreds of trucks taking them back to Serrano point. They arrived quicker then expected, mostly because they were no longer fighting off machines trying to destroy them all the way. John and Cameron were given an unwanted heroes welcome by the solders and civilians when they disembarked. They were greeted by hundreds of people, and the Connors had to push their way through the crowd to get inside the power plant. At the bottom of the ramp, Sidney was waiting with Kyle in her arms and Cameron ran ahead and took her son in to her arms. John and Allison caught up and Cameron turned to allow John to hug his son.

John turned to Sidney, who like her sister Lauren, looked exhausted. "Thanks for looking after him for us". Sidney smiled, he's a brilliant baby and a joy to have around, but he has been a little restless, he knew there was something up," John hugged Kyle closer and said "Hey Champ, Mommy and Daddy are home now." The Connor's made their way to the command room, Cameron carrying Kyle in her arms and Allison and John wrapped their arms around each others shoulders. It was a challenge to get there, the corridors been more packed then usual with civilians wanting to see their savours. Finally reaching the command room, John looked to Perry and saw he looked worried. John, let go of Allison's hand and sat down in his usual seat and looked to Perry for news, "Anything?" Perry stood up from his chair and looked like he was going to salute, but he stopped himself, much to John's relief. "I've been in contact with our generals overseas. They all report that no machines are active anywhere else. The only machines that are still active are reprogrammed machines and the ones at this base". John at least was relived by this. This meant that the only machines that were still a threat were in LA. The rest of the world was finally safe.

"Has Bedell been in contact?" Perry nodded and pointed to the wall screen. "The screen came to life and showed a video recording, which was showing the entrance to a small Skynet base. Outside, were around fifty machines standing guard, most were T eight hundreds. "Bedell sent us this about two hours ago. Fifty two machines and something else. Bedell said one of the reprogrammed machines with him told him it was some sort of advanced prototype. Luckily, Skynet never got a chance to use it before you destroyed it". John watched patiently and then he saw it. The T one thousand that tried to kill him as a child stepped out and began looking around, looking for threats that the T eight hundreds might have missed. The machine wasn't wearing the police uniform that John remembered, but was wearing the usual combat clothes which were common with Resistance soldiers. John closed his eyes and remembered how close it had come to killing him and his mother. John felt sick, knowing what he had to do. History could not be rewritten he had to let the machine go back in to the past because the machines actions had led to him and his mother being reunited, which in turn, led John on a path to become who he needed to be. Watching the screen, John saw the machine seemed satisfied that nothing was out of the ordinary as it turned and disappeared back inside the base.

"It's a T one thousand and I know what its doing. It's building a time displacement machine. Its goanna send itself back to try and kill me. If I'm not around, there's no Resistance to fight Skynet. The war we've just won will be lost". Perry and everyone else present gawped opened mouthed at him, all except Cameron, who already knew the story. Perry shook his head in disbelief. "Well, if that's true, I'll order Bedell to move in, destroy the machines, destroy the T one thousand and destroy the time displacement machine". John shook his head, stopping Perry as he raised his radio. "I already know what's going to happen. I know it's hard to understand sometimes, but I've already lived through this. That machine did attack me as a kid and it failed. I survived. Perry went quieter then ever and lowered his radio, "Err, okay, I get that. But how did you kill it?" John looked to Cameron, who gave him an encouraging smile as she sat with Kyle on her lap, keeping him entertained while John and Perry talked.

"I sent another machine back to protect me. That's what we've got to do, send a machine back". Cameron looked from Perry to John, waiting for the argument which seemed to never come. Perry himself looked both angry and disappointed, much to both John and Cameron's surprise, as they had never seen Perry angry before, "I've never doubted you before and I'm not goanna start now. This better work Connor, for all our sakes". He threw his radio to John, who caught it with ease and he held it up, "Bedell, hold position and wait for me to arrive. Don't attack the machines until I say, understand?". "What ever you say Connor!" was the only reply John got.

Throwing the radio back to Perry, John stood up and looked one final time at the wall screen before walking out of the room, followed by Cameron with a playful Kyle, who was now waving at everyone they passed and laughing with glee as they waved back. Allison followed them, smiling at those who waved back at Kyle. John had hoped he'd seen the last of that T one thousand when it fell in to that vat of molten steel in the tunnel. John first took his family and despite Cameron's insistence that Bedell could wait a few extra hours, John was determined to do what he needed to do as quickly as possible. Kissing and hugging all three of them goodbye, John left to the armoury to collect a new rifle, the old one having been lost in Skynet's complex. John then met up with a squad of soldiers that Perry had assembled and then began the short journey to Long beach.

John looked out of the back of the truck he was in as it drove and as he looked over the ruins of LA, it all suddenly looked so different. The city itself was exactly the same as it was a week ago, full of destroyed buildings. The streets were all lined with the remains of cars, which in turn held the skeletal remains of many innocent people. But now, without Skynet's machines patrolling the streets and skies above it was eerily quiet. The journey didn't take long and the trucks stopped a mile from the machine base. John took the lead, trying to ignore the pain from his chest, while his soldiers followed. Up ahead, John could see soldiers from Bedell's squad crouched down behind some rubble, looking over it to what must have been the machine base. John raised his hand and then lowered it to tell his men to crouch down. They did so and still followed John as they joined with Bedell's squad. John moved along the long line of men, looking for Bedell and it wasn't until he had passed half of them did he find Bedell, crouched and aiming his rifle over the top of the rubble. "Over there Connor. Be careful, don't let them see you". John nodded and slowly moved himself upwards to look. About a hundred metres away, was the entrance to the machine base.

It was another underground complex, with only a single entrance in and out of the base. Around the base, were the machines. Most of them were T eight hundreds, standing completely still with Plasma rifles in their hands, ready for any kind of attack. Blocking the entrance, were three T nine hundreds and there was a single T six hundred, standing on the highest ground above the other machines, holding what looked like a mini gun. John moved back down quickly to not be seen and turned to Bedell. "Anything?" Bedell shook his head, "That advanced prototype thing comes out every hour on the dot. It just looks around and then disappears back inside. I haven't seen any other machines and I don't know if there's any inside, but I doubt it's alone in there". John nodded, doubting himself that the T one thousand would only guard the outside. The inside would most definitely be guarded by more machines. "How many of the reprogrammed machines did you bring?" Bedell pointed behind him, "Four!"

John turned to look and the first machine he saw, he recognised instantly. The machine which was destined to become 'Uncle Bob was staring right back at him, waiting for orders. The other three machines all looked different in appearance, though they were less imposing in stature compared to the Uncle Bob machine. Wishing he had brought more reprogrammed machines himself, John thought on what to do and after a few moments, pointed to the four machines, "You four move ahead to the other machines. Get as close as you can, we'll cover you all from here!" They all moved out with out reply and John turned and looked to Bedell again, "What do you think?" He merely shrugged his soldiers, "It's what I would have done, so let's get on with it!" Smiling at each other, they both turned and readied themselves to cover the four machines. Bedell waved his hand in and upwards motion and all the soldiers with them moved themselves to firing positions. John and Bedell seemed to be thinking the same thing, and both aimed their rifles to the T six hundred with the mini gun. The four machines, including Uncle Bob, came in to view in the clearing in front of him and John watched them walk towards the entrance of the base. The other machines aimed their rifles at the four but didn't fire. The four machines kept walking until they stopped right before the three T nine hundreds, the middle one having raised its metal arm to stop them. Then Uncle Bob and the middle T nine hundred began to talk to one another. Bedell, just as confused as John, turned to him, "Have you got any idea what the hell it's saying?"

John shook his head and just watched. The machines carried on talking as if having a regular conversation between two people, but then, things turned ugly. The T nine hundreds attacked the machines, throwing three of the four flying through the air, including Uncle Bob. John and Bedell opened fire on the T six hundred with the mini gun. Two plasma shots combined with their almost perfect aim took off the machines head and it fell to the floor, where its mini gun fired harmlessly in to the air. A fierce fire fight erupted between the machines and Resistance soldiers, sending echoes of gunfire and explosions through the surrounding area for miles. The machines despite having superior firepower didn't have any form of cover, unlike John and his soldiers. One by one, the machines were dealt with. There were screams from both sides of John in the distance as soldiers were wounded or killed by the machines weapons and John had to duck more then once to save himself from being killed. The fight suddenly stopped and John looked over his cover, and saw the three T nine hundred had vanished, leaving the Uncle Bob machine standing alone. Bedell seemed to know what John was thinking and stood up to see if it was clear.

He seemed satisfied and called the all clear before moving forwards. John followed, moving slowly as soldiers surrounded him to protect him. Bedell and a small group moved towards the entrance and aimed inside, looking out for any sign of movement. John stopped next to Uncle Bob, who looked completely unscathed. "The T nine hundreds have retreated inside. They are not acting as they normally do; they were not programmed to retreat from their posts. They have purposely retreated for the purpose of delaying our entry inside to the objective". John was taken aback by the heavy Austrian accent of the machine which he remembered from his childhood, but nodded his head to show it he understood. John then looked around for the other three reprogrammed machines, and could see them on the ground not to far away from him. Two of them had their heads removed and the third had been ripped in half. The one thing John hated about T nine hundreds is that they were very effective at fighting and killing both humans and other machines. Turning back and not having a good feeling on the fact that he only had one machine to take on three T nine hundreds and possible more machines that were waiting inside, John headed forwards and stood with Bedell, who turned to him, "I don't like the idea of walking in there when there's three of those machines waiting for us". John nodded, not liking it either and so turned around at the remaining reprogrammed machine. "You can see in the dark better then we can, what can you see". The machine walked forwards and peered inside for a moment, before looking back to John.

"The machines are waiting at the end of the corridor. I don't see any others and I don't detect any other movement in the vicinity. I will know more once inside". John nodded and looked to Bedell, who nodded back and turned around, "Rocket launchers!" John smirked as four solders came forwards, each carrying a rocket launcher". The machine turned to Bedell, looking slightly confused. "Your rockets do not have the yield necessary to damage a T nine hundred. Their armour was designed to withstand attacks such as this". Bedell smirked to himself as he took one to the launchers and began loading a rocket. "We already know that. These rockets are enough to knock them off their feet for you to destroy them". The machine turned back to John, and then again down the corridor. "This plan has only a twenty four percent chance of success". John shrugged his shoulders as Bedell and three of the soldiers knelt down and readied themselves to fire, "Twenty four percent is better then nothing, we'll take it. Get ready to move quickly to take them out".

"Affirmative", the machine moved itself to the side of the entrance and waited for the rockets to fire. John, seeing that Bedell was ready, raised his hand and lowered it quickly. Four rockets shot out of the launchers and in to the dark base. The moment the rockets past, Uncle Bob ran after them, not even waiting for them to hit the T nine hundreds. All John could see was four large explosions when the rockets hot the machines and then nothing, only darkness. John and Bedell waited and John thought he had just sent the machine that saved him in the past to its destruction, but the machine returned, again and much to John's surprise, completely unscathed. "The way is clear; I suggest we move quickly to secure the area". John nodded to Bedell who grabbed his plasma rifle and headed inside, followed by a dozen soldiers, before John followed also. It didn't take long for them to reach the sight of the destroyed T nine hundreds. The remains of two of them were on the ground. The third was no where to be seen. Both T nine hundreds had their heads removed, undoubtedly the handy work of Uncle Bob. "Where's the other machine?" Uncle Bob appeared behind John, and looked down each of the corridors.

"The third machine escaped before I could tackle it". John groaned. Now they had to hunt the machine in the confined corridors, which would undoubtedly be difficult. "Bedell, switch to isotope weapons and hunt that machine down. I'll take care of the T one thousand". Bedell waved his arm forwards and began to move forwards, closely followed by a dozen soldiers. The rest remained with John. As he was about to move to find the T one thousand, John felt a sharp pain in his chest and raised his hand to it, blood flowing through his fingers. "You require medical assistance!" Uncle Bob was watching John as he groaned in pain. "I'll be fine; I'll get it seen to when we're done". John then headed off in search of the machine, and tried to ignore the growing stabbing pain in his chest. It didn't take him long to find the room he was looking for. The main room of the base was in the centre and the moment John pushed the steel door open, he spotted the T nine hundred. Dropping to the ground on instinct, he expected to feel shot's fire over his head, but nothing came. Looking up, John watched as Uncle Bob walked forwards and stood before the motionless machine, its once red eyes dead and dark.

"It has shut itself down. A machine would only do that once its mission was complete". John stood up and walked inside, followed by Bedell, who for good measure, kicked the machine and knocked it over, "I hate machines! What the hell was its mission then?" Bedell looked to Uncle Bob, looking for answers. "Its mission was most likely to slow down our entry in to this base, to give the T one thousand time to complete its task. The T nine hundred has succeeded in its task". John looked around the room, and saw a set of shutters and only when seeing the shutters, did he hear a humming sound, which was slowly getting louder. Bedell followed John's gaze and moved to the shutters and pressed the button to open them. The shutters retracted upwards and through the glass, the T one thousand came in to view, standing in the centre of a sphere like room. The machine stared right back at John and in John's memory, he recalled the moment when the machine had come so close to killing him in the past.

"Why didn't you shut down like the others"? The machine didn't smile or respond in any way, prompting Bedell to raise his rifle and fire at it. His plasma shot hit the glass and was stopped in its tracks, leaving nothing but a black scorch mark on the glass. The machine looked to Bedell mockingly and then back to John, and finally spoke. "I was built to be an independent machine, not under Skynet's direct control". John thought as much. The T one thousand always seemed different compared to the other machines. "What are you doing?" The machine didn't answer and instead just stood there in silence. Then the humming sound ceased and the machine walked forwards, out of the centre. "You have killed Skynet and won the war in this time. I was designed with the purpose to do what ever is necessary to ensure Skynet's survival and dominance over this world. I was unable to stop you in this time, so I shall do it in the past".

The T one thousand turned to the single console in the room and pressed a few buttons. Seconds later, the outlines of a blue sphere began to form in the centre of the room and the Machine took its place there, turning to look at John. Bedell fired twice more at the glass, without success before ordering Uncle Bob to get in there and stop it. Uncle Bob stepped forwards and punched the glass. Not even the smallest crack appeared in the glass, it was designed to not be broken. The T one thousand then knelt down and was engulfed in a flash of white and blue light. By the time John was able to look again, it was gone.

John sighed and turned away, drawing gazes from everyone around him. "The chances of the T one thousand succeeding in its mission are one hundred percent". John looked to Uncle Bob and again sighed, "What are the chances if I send you back to protect me?" At this, there were looks of horror from many around him, including Bedell. "Connor, if you want to send someone back then fine, but you can't send another machine back. I'll go, I'll go back". John turned this time to Bedell. "Yeah, If send you back, then your daughter grows up with out a father. And I doubt Lauren would be happy with me for sending her husband away permanently, she'd kill me. Too many families have been torn apart in this war; I'm not breaking up another. This machine is going back and that's the end of it". Bedell stood down instantly, looked once at the machine and then to the floor.

He seemed both grateful and disappointed at John's response. John then turned to the computers in the room and began to work. After a few minutes, everything was set and John turned to the machine. "I'm sending you back; you'll arrive before the T one thousand does. Do you know what you have to do?" The machine didn't show any emotion as it turned to stare in to the time displacement chamber. "To ensure the survival of John Connor", was all it said and it then walked in to the time displacement room, its door having unlocked itself after the T one thousand disappeared. It stood in the centre of the room and waited patiently for John to activate the machine. Bedell moved and closed the door behind the machine and stood next to John by the computers, "Are you sure about this Connor?, I mean, sending Kyle back the first time was one thing, but sending a machine back to fight another machine in the middle of LA, don't you think people would notice?. How do you know it will be able to kill it?"

John smiled and began to power up the machine and watched as a blue sphere began to form. "I've seen too many people die Bedell, way too many. Humans are irreplaceable; Kyle and Liz are prime examples. If I send someone back, they'd just be killed. I already know this machine will succeed because I've already lived through it and no, nobody really notices and if they did, they never said anything". Bedell rolled his eyes and turned himself to watch as the blue sphere could now clearly be seen by everyone. "You and this time travel stuff, I'll never understand it". John and Bedell watched as Uncle Bob knelt down and with another flash of white and blue light, it was gone. John, once he was able to look again, stared at the spot the machine had just been. That machine had been a factor in shaping him to be who he needed to be, to become the John Connor that the world needed. And now, with that machine gone, John had one regret, he never said thank you.

John ordered the base to be blown to hell and left the room and the base. Outside, he sat alone and looked at his wound. His torn stitches oozed blood but it looked worse then it was but he knew he'd get it in the neck from Cameron and Lauren He waited for Bedell and the others to leave the base and watched as it exploded, destroying the time displacement equipment with it. After the explosion, the soldiers with John erupted in to cheers again. With this base finally destroyed, the war was well and truly over. Bedell took a seat next to John and watched the cheering men and women. "Thanks for what you said before Connor. I didn't know what I was thinking when I said I'd go back". John smiled and patted Bedell on the back, "Not a problem, you've got a family and a daughter on the way, and you'll make a good dad when she's born". Bedell smiled gratefully and John stood up and began to slowly walk towards the trucks and he heard Bedell call after him, "What are you going to do now?

With the Resistance". John stopped and turned to him, looked towards the black clouded sky and hoped a ray of sunlight would appear but after a few seconds, it was clear no sunlight was going to break through those clouds. "The Resistance is finished. The wars over, people don't need the Resistance anymore. I'll tell Perry to shut down all the reprogrammed machines and then I'll give command to Perry. He's in charge now". Bedell's stared at John in surprise and before getting up and marching towards him. "You can't be serious Connor, we've all followed you to hell and back, you can't just hand everything to Perry and leave us". John shook his head and placed his hand on Bedell's shoulder. "I thought you knew me enough to know when I'm being serious. I've had enough Bedell. I've had enough of Skynet, machines and everything, I've just had enough. You've got a family and so have I so you know what I mean when I say I'll do anything for them. Well, I'm doing this for them because I've had enough and I love them more then anything".

John then turned and began to slowly walk towards the waiting trucks behind him. "Connor, where are you going?" Bedell's voice rang through the area but John wasn't paying much attention. His eyes darted upwards to a gap in the clouds and smiled as some sunlight punched through and shined down on them all. John thought of all those who had died, all the billions of people who had lost their lives, in particular, he thought of Kyle, his father and of Liz, his closest friend. But then he thought about those he had saved. All those families back in Serrano point and the many more scattered around the world. But in particular, he thought of his children, Allison, Kyle and the unborn twins and then he thought of Cameron. He loved her more than he ever believed was possible and would never love another like he loved her. It was only now when John replied to Bedell's words. "Home Bedell, I'm going home".


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 - Epilogue

It had been five years since the war had ended, Allison Connor, now twenty one years old, stood in the field, full of long lush green grass, behind the Connor home, watching over her younger brother and sisters playing. Most people at Allison's age would have preferred to spend their days off out partying with friends instead of looking after her younger siblings, but unlike other people her age, Allison didn't care how others preferred to spend their free time, she loved her brother and sisters and loved to watch them play together in the field. After long shifts at the hospital a couple of miles away, she welcomed the time she had to play with her siblings. Kyle, now nearly six, was running round in circles holding an old tennis ball while his younger twin sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth chased him.

"Give us the ball! Give us the ball". The twins were almost identical in appearance to their mother, as they were to each other. They both had long brown hair and the same facial features as Cameron. Everything but their eyes they inherited from their mother. They both had green eyes, the same eyes of their father. Allison couldn't help but laugh as Kyle tripped and fell over and his sisters jumped on top of him, wrestled the ball from him and then both ran away again, laughing in triumph, "We got it, we got it!". Kyle stood back up, his T shirt covered in a thick layer of mud. He spotted Allison laughing at him and shot her an angry look then took off in hot pursuit of his sisters.

Allison looked up in to the sky and smiled as the sun easily broke though the now small black clouds. After Skynet's fall, the sky had steadily clearing itself. The black clouds from the fires of Judgement day, which once covered the whole world, were now disappearing one by one. The sun could now almost freely shine down and together with the heavy rain falls which now covered the world, was slowly bringing it back to life. Allison could hear whispers from her three siblings, mixed together with soft laughing and knew they were planning something.

Hoping to 'accidentally' hear the plan, Allison casually walked forwards, hoping they wouldn't notice her before she got close enough. Allison stopped suddenly as she heard Kyle crying. Concerned for her brother, Allison ran towards him to see if he was alright. She found Kyle sitting with his head in his lap, crying loudly. "Kyle, what happened? Are you alright?" Kyle shook his head but didn't look up, "My knee, I've cut my knee". He yelled out in pain as he pointed to his knee and Allison knelt down next to him and moved his hand out of the way, "Let me have a look…. Hey! There's no cut!" She looked up and realised Kyle had been faking it. "Got you!" Sarah and Elizabeth ran out of nowhere and jumped on top of Allison, wrestling her to the ground. Allison laughed at herself as her three younger siblings jumped all over her, pinning her to the ground and tickling her, covering her and themselves in mud. When they were all exhausted, Allison sat up and looked at the grins on her three sibling faces. "Whose idea was that then?"

The grins on the twin's faces got larger, "You two are little devils you know, and you're so like mom". They laughed again but then Sarah's grin disappeared as she looked around. "Where's the ball?" Elizabeth stopped laughing herself and joined her sister in searching for it. Kyle also moved to look for it but with his sisters backs turned, Allison produced the ball from behind her back and tossed it to Kyle who grinned before breaking in to a run. "Sarah and Elizabeth saw him run and chased after him, "Kyle's got it, get him!". Allison grinned at how quickly they ran after their brother. They were just over four years old and together, could easily take on their older brother. Allison stood up and looked around towards the Connor home, which was at the other end of the field. It wasn't exactly a big house but it wasn't small either and she smiled feeling truly happy. Allison then spotted someone close to the house, walking towards her.

Reaching for her the back of her jeans, she grabbed her pistol and primed it and looked for her brother and sisters. "Kyle! Sarah! Elizabeth! Get here now!" All three of them recognised the seriousness of Allison's voice and instantly ran towards her. Sarah and Elizabeth each took hold of Allison's legs and held on tightly while Kyle stood behind them, holding on to them as if shielding them. Allison gripped her pistol tightly and could feel her younger siblings shaking with fear behind her, "It's alright, and he's not going to hurt you while I'm here". This didn't give them any confidence and they held on to her tighter. When the man got close enough, Allison raised her pistol, "Stop right there or I'll shoot!"

He stopped and raised his arms, "Don't shoot, I'm not armed, I promise you!" Allison didn't lower her weapon and as the man took a step forwards, Allison shot at the ground, missing his foot by little more then an inch, "I told you!, stay where you are". The man didn't look afraid but more surprised by the lack of hospitality, "I already told you, I'm not armed. Do you treat everyone you see like this?" Again, his words didn't prompt Allison to lower the weapon, "I treat people who I don't know and who are here uninvited like this, so I'd leave now if I were you". The man didn't move but continued to stare at them. He seemed more concerned on why all four of them were covered in mud for a moment then the gun, but when Allison moved her pistol to aim at his head, he backed off. "Look, I'm here to see John and Cameron Connor. That's all. I'm here on the orders of the President himself".

Allison still didn't back down but she did stop aiming at the man's head but still kept the gun raised. "What does Perry want with my mom and dad? If he wants them to work for him on some project or something, he can forget it". The man seemed surprised by Allison's words and lowered his arms. He reached in to his pocket and pulled out an envelope, his eyes fixed on Allison's gun in the hope she wouldn't shoot him. "How do you know the President wants them to work with him? I haven't even seen your parents yet".

Allison gave a small mocking smile and felt her three siblings move to peer around from behind her. They were becoming a little braver. "You're not the first person to come here and offer them a job. I can tell you now, they'll say the same thing they told all the others, they aren't interested". The man seemed disappointed by this and put the envelope back in his pocket and slowly backed away. "I wish I could leave but the President gave me specific instructions to hand this directly to your parents. Once they have it, I'll leave, I promise you". Allison was now annoyed but remained focussed. "They left this morning; I don't know when they'll be back". Suddenly, Kyle spoke from behind Allison, "Mom and dad are home!"

Sarah and Elizabeth both gasped with relief and Allison could see John and Cameron running across the field towards them, both carrying pistols. Their dog Max, who they adopted after Liz had died, ran ahead and growled and showed its teeth to the unknown man. The man again raised his hands to show he was no threat. Sarah and Elizabeth both ran out from behind Allison and towards Cameron, who knelt down and hugged her daughters before picking them both up following John. Allison reached behind her and took Kyle's hand and assured him everything would be alright. John stopped before the man and also held him at gunpoint, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The man lowered his head and took a step back from John, again taken aback.

"My name's Richford, David Richford. I was sent here on the orders of the President to deliver this to John and Cameron Connor". He pointed towards the envelope and jumped when Max barked at him, thinking he was reaching for a weapon. John sighed and lowered his weapon and put it away. "It's alright Allison!" Allison lowered her gun and she and Kyle moved towards Cameron, Kyle running ahead to cuddle his mother's legs. Cameron lowered her daughters to the ground and hugged Kyle. "Max, come here". Max instantly did as he was told and after barking again at the man, ran to Cameron. "You three play with Max while we talk with the man alright". The three of them seemed completely happy again with their parents present and Kyle took out his tennis ball and threw it. Max ran after it and then Kyle, Sarah and Elizabeth ran after Max, laughing again already. Cameron stood up and walked forwards, now covered in mud herself from carrying Sarah and Elizabeth and looked intently at Richford.

"Like I said, I was sent here by the President, he told me to give you this". He took out the envelope and held it out to John, who took it and with a sigh opened it. Inside was a single piece of paper and John read it quickly before handing it to his wife. "The answer's no". Richford had looked hopeful after handing the letter over but his face dropped again. "But you've just read it. If you take some time to think about it". Cameron gave him a dark look which shut him up and she handed the letter back. "John's said no, I'm saying no. Perry's ran the New World Government for five years now since he was elected. He's done a good job so far and doesn't need us. There are plenty of other people capable of doing what he's asking". Richford looked more disappointed then ever and took the letter from Cameron's hand and glanced at Allison, who gave him an I told you so look.

"That's exactly what the President said you would say. It's just there's just a popular demand from people for you two to be involved in the government. Nobody wants to see the Connor's disappear, you're heroes you know. No one's going to forget what you two did for us all in a hurry". John nodded his head and turned to watch his children play. He smiled as he always did when he saw Sarah and Elizabeth throwing the tennis ball to each other while Max ran between them. They both looked so much like their mother; it was almost like having two mini Cameron's running around the place. "Perry's asked us to work the New World Government eighteen times now. We've given him the same answers every time and that hasn't changed. The answers still no". Richford eventually bowed his head in defeat. "Alright, I'll go tell the President your answer but he won't be happy about it". Richford held out his hand and John shook it, "Perry never is. But he'll forgive us, he always does". Richford smiled and then held out his hand to Cameron, who also shook it.

"Well, despite your answer, it's been a pleasure to meet you both; it's not every day you get to meet the famous Connor family". He then turned to Allison and seemed to have a strong debate in his head about what to do next but eventually held his hand out to her. Allison, after a moment's hesitation, also shook it. "You wouldn't have actually shot me, would you?" Allison gave a small mocking smile, "Well, if you stay any longer, you can find out". Richford looked terrified by her and quickly let go before nodding his head at John and Cameron and walked back to his car near the house, walking quicker then he normally would have. Cameron turned around to face her children and called out, "Come on you three. It's your dads turn to cook and you need to get out of those clothes". Sarah and Elizabeth ran straight over and this time ran to their father, who hugged them both and like Cameron, was now covered in mud from them. Kyle continued to play with Max, but was slowly making his way over to the group. Allison took the lead back towards the house, "Are you sure it's a good idea to let dad cook. I nearly died last time". Sarah and Elizabeth giggled at their dad, who smirked and shook his head, "Hey, there's nothing wrong with my cooking".

He was lying; his cooking was just as bad as his mothers had been. Cameron kissed John on the cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. "Your dad's cooking is just fine!" John looked to Cameron with a smile and kissed her back, "Thank you". Allison shook her head from where she was standing, "Please! I nearly choked to death". John and Cameron began to make their way back towards the house, holding each others hands while also holding the hands of their daughters. Kyle ran ahead to hold Allison's hand and turned to his father. "Are Auntie Lauren and Uncle Martin coming to eat?" Kyle looked up to Bedell as he looked up to John and enjoyed them both telling him stories of the war, even though they both left out most of the details and mixed the stories up to make them more exciting, like including fire breathing dragons and huge tornados. "Yeah, they'll be here in a few hours. You all need a bath and wash off this mud".

Allison glared at John for a moment before continuing to walk. Despite trying to keep out of the mud as mush as possible, Kyle, Sarah and Elizabeth's little trick had left her worse off then they were. Cameron looked down to Elizabeth, who was holding her hand, "Anne's coming as well, and you like playing with Anne!" Elizabeth beamed at her and looked to her sister, who was holding John's hand and they both began to discuss what they would play with Anne. They became stuck on whether to play hide and seek or play with their dolls. Reaching the house, Cameron pushed open the door and watched as Kyle, Elizabeth, Sarah and Max all ran inside, leaving a trail of mud on the floor. "Great, we'll have to clean all that up now". Cameron and Allison both smirked and stepped inside and just as John was about to follow, he remembered he forgot to lock the car, "Hold on, I'm just going to lock the car".

John walked over to the car, which was very similar to the car Derek used to have all those years ago, big, black and with enough space for Allison, Kyle, Sarah and Elizabeth to sit comfortably in the back. John pushed the key in to the lock and turned it and locked the car before an uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched crept over him. In the distance John could see two people. Putting the car keys back inside his pocket, he slowly reached for his gun and once grabbing it, raised it and aimed it at them, only to stop and lower it almost instantly. His parents, Sarah and Kyle were standing there; hand in hands and watching him. They smiled and waved at him and John, after getting over the shocked of seeing them, smiled back. He looked at their joined hands and could see clearly then they were in love with each other.

They seemed happy together and John hoped they where ever they were now, in the after life if there was one, they were together and that they were happy. He also felt a little sad at the sight of them together, because they never got the chance to spend more then two days with each other before being forced to part from one another forever. Putting his gun away, John smiled one final time and they smiled back as John turned away, only to walk right in to Cameron looking confused. "What were you looking at?" John turned to look again but Sarah and Kyle had vanished. Smiling at himself and turning back to Cameron, he pulled her towards him and kissed her deeply and passionately. After what seemed like a long time, they finally parted. "Nothing, I thought I saw something, but there's nothing". Cameron shrugged her shoulders and kissed him back softly. "I hope you're not seeing things. I need you to have a clear head for what I've got planned for you tonight". John looked at her with confusion on his face, "What have you got planned?" Cameron took John's hands, winked and then kissed him again, "When the kids are asleep, you'll find out".

John couldn't help but grin and wish tonight would hurry up and come. Taking each others hands, they slowly walked back towards the house. John and Cameron couldn't have asked for more, they had their own home, their own family and their own lives, they wanted nothing else, they were happy together.

One leader, one Protector, a joint Destiny.


End file.
